Understanding the “Iceberg Principle of Storytelling” With example of “Simi’s Memory Journal”

Let’s take the example of a fictional novel called “Simi’s Memory Journal.” Here are some excerpts from “Simi’s memory journal” a diary in which this character records her memories, feelings, details of everyday experiences, dreams, fantasies, obsessions, ideas, notes, observations, and just about everything.

 

October 17^th – A recurring dream

"The old house again. That creaking floorboard in the attic. Always the same grey light filtering through the dusty window. The hum of the old radio, even though I know it's been broken for years. The same old crow and its same old caw-caw."

November 5^th – An observation

“A woman in the bus caught my attention today. Her amethyst-colored scarf reminded me of my mother. For a split second, I almost reached out to her to ask who gave her this scarf.”

December 12^th – A cryptic note about the memory of a past event

“He said the words, but I heard something else entirely. The way the fierce winds whipped and the way the rain lashed against the window that night, mirroring the storm inside."

January 28^th – A note about an artistic obsession

“Spent hours on the sketching of the peepal tree. Its roots seem to hold so much untold history. Like an old woman's hands."

February 1^st – A fleeting feeling

"A sudden, overwhelming sense of loss today. For what, I can't pinpoint. Like a phantom limb."

 

For the reader, these entries are like the “tip of the iceberg,” while the bulk of the iceberg has been hidden by the writer. The writer’s intention is to leave it to the reader to decipher, decode, infer, interpret, and imagine the details hidden in these excerpts. This, in a writer’s world, is called as the “Iceberg Principle of Storytelling.”

 

The Iceberg Principle of Storytelling, also known as the "theory of omission" or "iceberg theory," was famously championed by Ernest Hemingway. It suggests that the true meaning of a story should not be immediately obvious on the surface, but rather implied through carefully chosen details and what is left “unsaid.” Just like an iceberg, where only a small portion is visible above water while the major chunk of ice remains submerged and hidden from the naked eye, the most powerful aspects of a story are those that the writer allows the reader to infer and absorb on their own.

 

The principle relies on some fundamental elements such as “show, don’t tell,” “Hint, subtext & implication,” “focus on the concrete,” and “trust in reader’s intelligence.”

 

Show don’t tell

Instead of explicitly stating a character's emotions or the story's themes, the writer instead uses actions, dialogues, and sensory descriptions to evoke these emotions and themes indirectly.

 

Hint, subtext and implication

The real drama often lies in what is hinted at, in the unspoken tensions, and in the gaps the reader is encouraged to fill.

 

Focus on the concrete

While applying the iceberg principle, a writer uses specific, tangible details to suggest deeper meanings, rather than abstract explanations.

 

Trust in reader's intelligence

The author doesn't spoon-feed information but trusts the reader to connect the dots and engage actively with the narrative.

 

Simi’s entries are just the tip of the iceberg visible to the reader. It’s upto the reader to interpret them as they like.

 

For example, the small detail of the “Amethyst Scarf” in the above excerpts hints at the character’s profound longing for or a unresolved relationship with her mother. The immediate reaction to reach out to the woman could be understood as emotions like grief, regret, or a yearning for connection.

 

The recurring “Old House Dream” could represent a deep-seated memory or trauma associated with her past, possibly her childhood home or a significant event that occurred there. The creaking floorboard, the grey light, and the broken radio could symbolize decay, unresolved issues, or a sense of something lost or broken.

 

The Cryptic Note "He said the words, but I heard something else entirely" could imply a significant personal conflict, a misunderstanding, or perhaps a betrayal in a past relationship. The rain mirroring the "storm inside" underscores the emotional turmoil she experienced. The reader is left to wonder who "he" is and what "the words" signify, prompting them to imagine the full context of that difficult conversation.

 

The peepel tree obsession and Simi’s intense focus on it could be interpreted as an affinity for endurance, resilience, and perhaps the burdens of history or experience. The comparison to "an old woman's hands" might allude to her own feelings about aging, wisdom, or the weight of her memories.

 

The bit about the Phantom Loss could be taken as an "overwhelming sense of loss" that she can't pinpoint, likened to a "phantom limb," implying a deep, pervasive grief or unresolved emotional wound that continues to affect her, even if its origin is buried. It hints at a past trauma or significant absence that has become part of her identity.

 

The Iceberg Principle of Storytelling, therefore, transformed an ordinary narrative of Simi’s memory journal into a portal that can potentially take an attentive reader into her vast, complex, hidden inner world, where they can catch a glimpse of her deepest desires, fear, loves, and all things she said or didn’t say, her unspoken fantasies. This makes the simple chronicle of her journal into a compelling narrative and a powerful, emotional story.