Freaking Substance

What the hell does it mean for a story to have "substance"? This freaking word is so freaking common.

For my part, I think substance refers to the extent that a story resonates with the reader. That is, how deeply it affects us.

So, I think, to say that a particular story has substance is to say that the story resonated with you. Which is a rather personal thing to admit to someone, I suppose. But that's merely my opinion.

I can also understand if someone says a story has substance because he or she believes that the story might resonate with other people, even though it didn't really do so with him or her, specifically. I can understand this, but at the same time, I find it rather misleading. It's like saying you love something when you only like it.

But if that's so, then perhaps my opinion here is a bit off. Well. Not too much, of course. I'm too spectacular for that. But a bit, yes.

It is "off," perhaps, in the sense that substance regards someone's like for a story. Instead, perhaps substance regards someone's respect for a story. It's a bit more general in that sense, I think. A bit safer to admit, as well; having a healthy respect for something certainly doesn't mean that you find it personally appealing. You can be less invested in it, I guess is the point, less attached.

Hmm. I still like my first definition better, though. The latter is slightly more encompassing, true, but screw all that. I'd prefer to think of "substance" as a word of tremendous adulation for an author. And not because someone has ever said that about a story I've written. I should be so lucky. Almost as lucky as getting to use the word adulation in a sentence. Mmm. Add-yoooo-lay-shunnnn...

K. Sorry. That was silly.

'n of course, now that I've posted my feelings about the word substance, some jerk'll probably come use it on me out of pity 'r some crap...

...

Well. I'm okay with that, actually. I've totally diluted the meaning that the word has for me, but... OH WELL. ANOTHER DREAM KILLED. BRING ON THE REST.

THE ROAD TO UNDERSTANDING IS RIDDLED WITH DEAD DREAMS. PROBABLY. 'swhat I'm guessing.