Douglas Vigliotti, an author of four books, including "Aristotle for Novelists," shares insights on timeless storytelling principles. He discusses how Aristotle's 'Poetics' continues to shape narratives today, emphasizing the cathartic power of well-told stories. Vigliotti argues that tragedies resonate more deeply than epics and critiques writers who don’t read extensively. He also explores the challenges modern readers face and reflects on his journey from sports to storytelling, highlighting the importance of structure and character development.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Vigliotti's Journey to Writing
Douglas Vigliotti's career journey began unexpectedly, starting with hockey and a business degree.
Writing found him in his mid-20s, becoming his first actively chosen pursuit, leading to diverse creative explorations.
In this book, Francis Fukuyama argues that the level of trust within a society is a crucial factor in its economic success. He contends that societies with high levels of trust, such as Germany, Japan, and the United States, are more likely to create flexible and large-scale business organizations necessary for competing in the global economy. Fukuyama examines various national cultures to identify the underlying principles that foster social and economic prosperity, emphasizing the importance of social capital and the interconnectedness of economic and cultural life. He challenges both neoclassical and state-centered economic theories by highlighting the role of trust and social virtues in economic development[1][2][4].
The Road
Tom Stechschulte
Cormac McCarthy
The Road is set in a world that has been devastated by an unspecified cataclysmic event, resulting in the extinction of nearly all life on Earth. The story follows an unnamed father and his young son as they travel south along the road, carrying their meager possessions and a pistol with only two bullets. The father, suffering from a worsening respiratory condition, is determined to protect his son from the dangers of their new world, including cannibalistic marauders. Along their journey, they encounter various survivors, some of whom are cruel and others who show kindness. The novel explores themes of love, survival, and the preservation of humanity in a world devoid of hope. Ultimately, the father's health fails, and he dies, but not before ensuring his son's safety with a new family who may offer a chance for a better future[2][3][4].
Aristotle for Novelists
Aristotle for Novelists
14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story
Douglas Vigliotti
Tom Collins
Tom Collins
A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel
Douglas Vigliotti
Bright Lights, Big City
Jay McInerney
The novel follows a 24-year-old fact-checker for a highbrow magazine as he navigates the early 1980s yuppie party scene in New York City. His life is marked by cocaine use, nightclubbing, and the recent departure of his wife, Amanda. The story, written in the second person, delves into themes of grief, materialism, and the protagonist's gradual realization of the superficiality of his life. The novel is a vivid portrayal of the excesses and disillusionments of the 1980s urban culture.
Polymath and author of ARISTOTLE FOR NOVELISTS Douglas Vigliotti spoke with me about the outsized influence of Poetics on storytelling, why a well-told story is so cathartic, and the three big questions every writer must answer.
Douglas Vigliotti is the author of four non-fiction and fiction books, including Tom Collins: A ‘Slightly Crooked’ Novel. He is also the host of Books for Men, a weekly podcast created to inspire (more) men to read.
His latest, Aristotle for Novelists: 14 Timeless Principles on the Art of Story, is described as a writing and creativity guide on “... how to write a novel using tried-and-true principles that have been used since antiquity to tell great stories.”
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience 
