Literature Is About Layers

Not every story is regarded as literature. If you hear a story about that time I almost got a speeding ticket, but the cop pulled over the cat next to me instead, it is at best a good story. It has a set-up, delivers an expectation, and then throws in a twist. It is a classic narrative, but nobody would consider it literature (not even if it was written down).

When I think about literature, there is a common theme they all share: Some subject or element will affect all of the characters, and it will affect them differently. 

One element might be smoking. So a story may not be about cigarettes in any way, but some characters might be smoking. One might do it for the nicotine rush. One might do it to look cool. One might do it to die faster. One might reject smoking because of just not caring enough to start. 

In literature, smoking can be a way to examine characters. They all do it in some fashion and it speaks to who they are and what they think about life. Smoking isn't just something people do, it is a tool to peel away the layers of the characters in literature. 

This same principle can be applied to anything, from sports to nihilistic philosophers to gumballs. 

Ultimately, literature is about layers. Just remember that it isn't about being pretentious. It's not about being flowery. You ALWAYS need to tell a good story. But literature needs more. It needs things to be connected on a deep level. It needs to have meaning, as well as being entertaining. If you can pull it off, then your story will be worthy of the title of literature.