[hippokrene]

Rather, does your work have it?

While I often wish to struggle with the big questions, more often I struggle just to get words on the page while managing an actual plot with characters.

Admittedly, even what some view as ‘cliché’ plots form philosophical discourse. Dark Lord CrankyPants is disposed by the heroic farm boy of prophecy, the veteran CIA agent comes out of retirement to catch a horrific serial killer, and the technologically superior and disgusting aliens are vanquished by noble humans. These all touch on and reinforce deeper concepts.

[KatG]

I can't tell you unless you define what you mean by depth.

[hippokrene]

I can't tell you unless you define what you mean by depth.

'A degree of psychological or intellectual profundity.'

However, I can't dictate what that means for you or your writing. Do you feel your writing has depth? Why or why not?

[Holbrook]

To be honest I haven't a clue. I have found readers see different aspects in my writing, things I never thought were there.

I believe you should write the best story you can, in a way you feel it should be written. Leave the depth/interpretation to the reader.

[hippokrene]

I believe you should write the best story you can, in a way you feel it should be written.

Assuming one can do so.

[jzx9rninja]

To be honest I haven't a clue. I have found readers see different aspects in my writing, things I never thought were there.

or sometimes dont see what you think is obvious

[KatG]

No, I don't believe my writing will bring about world peace. Although, for the record, I'm for world peace.

My writing is usually about something, but everyone's usually is. Whether the things a story of mine are about would be considered deep topics by a reader would be much harder to gauge. For me, if I've got any depth, it's because I'm trying to look at emotions and emotional interactions and those may resonate with some readers. Some books by others have resonated that way for me -- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Shipping News by Annie Proulx, Plainsong by Kent Haruf, Stephen King's The Green Mile, Half the Day is Night by Maureen McHugh, etc., but they do so for different reasons.

Ultimately, it's not a decision that you get to make about your own work. It's part of the creative experience.

[titangnome]

I am going to use my own definition of depth: character drama that grips the reader. Yes, in a sense, all drama is character drama, but in this case I am differentiating from plot-driven drama. For example:

Plot-driven drama: Young Hooleyfart finds that his best friend has always been working for the intergalactic villian Munchyturd because his friend, Wizzlegas, is now coming at him with a knife.

Character drama: Young Hooleyfart, having snuck around the back of the moon shed to light a spliff, realizes someone is in there talking on a transceiver. Hooleyfart sticks his ear close to one of the cracks.
"But I can't do that" a familiar voice says into the transceiver.
"YOU HAVE TO MY SON" comes the response--in the well-known tone of the infamous villain, Munchyturd.
Hooleyfart was shocked. He slouched down against the shed. Lit his joint. And wondered what the hell he would do.

I don't think depth has to wrestle with huge questions about god, the nature of reality, etc. Depth, for me is just about human realities. Who hasn't found out a friend is doing something they shouldn't? How does one deal with that? To me that's human and real. Whereas not many of us have had a friend come at us with a knife (the time in Baton Rouge doesn't count--I was very drunk)? And even then, a knife wielding friend is all reaction--either the character fights and survives, or gets killed.

As for whether my writing has it? Eeek! Let reader's decide. I just do my best to make the drama human without being some boring crap from The New Yorker.

[Holbrook]

Assuming one can do so.

Well, my agent thinks I can, which at the moment is good enough for me.

[kater]

Yes and No, I start out with an idea or a thought I want to write about - should humans populate space for example - and then try to tell the most interesting story I can, with that idea behind the story in mind. But is any of my writing Dune, not so much :)