Know the Story

     What do we know about storytelling? The sum of our knowledge should not be, ‘I have an idea for a book so I’m going to write it.’ There are actually many points and levels to the craft and it’s not something we all “just know”. We may be able to write something down from start to finish that resembles a book but the truth is, if no one reads it or if some do read it and don’t like it, it’s likely because it’s not a well-crafted story.

     It goes without saying that you will not make it as a writer if you can’t tell a story. Knowing and using all the tools that make up storytelling is absolutely essential for getting readers to read your book. Obviously.

     Most books aren’t successful because the idea is great, they will be successful based on how well we tell the story. It is extremely rare that a new story emerges anymore. The same stories have been repeated throughout time, the only difference being how they are told. There are only so many plots, so many themes, so many outcomes. We can’t focus on whether or not the story we choose to write is good or bad, we need to focus on the strength of our writing in telling it.

     So, what makes a story a story? Including things like emotion, flow, connection, realism, familiarity. Using these tools gives the reader a sense of being in the world we create. They get involved, they get wrapped up, they relate to the characters and they will be concerned with what happens to them. We need to appeal to their senses as we write so all five senses get engaged. Achieving this will preserve a lasting effect in our readers’ memories.

     Know the central conflict. The central conflict is the thing our protagonist is fighting for, the primary struggle, be it internal or external obstacle that drives the plot. There is no story without conflict so its important we understand this part of the development. If our conflict and obstacles equal the character’s desire for the outcome, then we are creating meaningful conflict. There are going to be many obstacles in our hero’s path and they should help to create the change the hero needs to know what they have to do in the big finale. In other words, each bit of conflict must drive the narrative forward.

     Know the plot. The plot is the story of the book that is driven by cause and effect – something happened that caused something else to happen. The old adage goes: The King died (not a plot). The King died then the Queen died of grief (this is a plot). Plot points are significant turning points in the story that change its direction or advances it forward. When starting a new project, jot down ideas for plot points and choose the ones that excite you most then build your story around this.

     Know the theme structure. Identifying theme structure is the same as having a brand. Branding is used in marketing to create recognition with a company. Colours, shapes, logos, fonts; all of these are used consistently throughout campaigns so customers associate them with that company. Them structure works the same in writing. We create an overall framework or unifying idea throughout the story. Knowing this beforehand helps to ensure that characters, images, symbols and main question about what the protagonist is going to do is reaffirmed until the climax. Examples of themes include, forbidden love, good versus evil, coming of age, justice/revenge, the circle of life, self-identity and so on.

     Know the 3 Point Story Arc. This is the basic structure to craft a story.  Here is the easiest way I can think of to explain this concept:

Setup – Conflict – Resolution.

Or…

The protagonist’s world is normal – something happens to irreversibly change that normal – the protagonist lives in a new normal

     To put it into an example, in a normal world our champion could be an ego driven narcissist who believes he’s perfect. The thing that happens, or inciting incident, would be that his village was razed to the ground and he couldn’t save everyone he cared for most. He vows revenge but realizes revenge won’t bring him peace, nor bring his loved ones back but he still manages to bring the attackers to justice. His new normal would be that he’s learned to be more humble and caring for others and becomes a strong, helpful participant in a new community. This can be broken down into more specific points but those same points are made in the 15 Beats in Story Structure.

     Know the 15 Beats in Story Structure. Where the 3 point arc would be the high school level education, the 15 beats arc would be at the university level. This structure is a particular set of events in almost every story that our minds latch on to. It is a blueprint that can be used to outline every book we write so we can have a clear sight of the story’s main objective – a satisfying ending. Read any story and it will be evident. It keeps us on track and it helps maintain continuity.

The 15 Beats are:

Act 1

Opening image

Setup

Theme stated

Catalyst

Debate

Act 2

Break into 2

B story

Fun & games

Midpoint

Bad guys close in

All is lost

Dark night of the soul

Act 3

Break into 3

Finale

Final image

     For more detailed information, check out this great course on Udemy, Write A Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps (Writing Mastery).

     Backstory, foreshadowing, dialogue, POV, show don’t tell, character arc, continuity. It’s about researching facts for believability. You may get the slang of a certain era wrong, a wardrobe piece that won’t exist for another 50 years, a piece of equipment that doesn’t exist in your timeline. Just knowing the story isn’t quite enough, we have to know the world we’re building as well. We get to use each of these elements to push the story forward or hold it back for a minute when we need to. Some can be used to create mystery, or make the reader stop and think, let them guess ‘who did it’. Consistency is also key, especially in point of view. We can’t switch back and forth between characters several times per page because that would create confusion. The reader would have jump in and out of characters’ heads and they could get lost very quickly.

     Story must have the ability to take the reader on a roller coaster of emotions. Entice them in the mystery, embrace them in the romance and inspire their imagination. If it can make them laugh or cry at the right time, make them think they know what’s going to happen next, or let them think they’ve figured it out then they are invested in needing to know more. They have to get to the end of the story to see if they’re right. If the story has completely brought them into our world and that ending has left them satisfied or wanting more, then we have done our job.

     Then we are writers. Then we are crafters of story.