What makes a story worth
reading? Try to remember the stories you’ve read over the years, and take note
of the ones that really stood out. Why do they stand out? Were the characters
memorable? Was the plot exciting? Did the story’s premise speak to you? Was the
author’s style so intriguing that it kept you going?
When you really analyze what it
is that made a work of fiction memorable for you, you start to notice the
various aspects of story writing that really matter. Today we’re going to take
a quick look at a few of these.
It’s all in the Premise
Go through every good (or bad,
for that matter) book you’ve read and you’ll realize that they are trying to
say something. There is a message behind the story; a reason the author spent
hours toiling away at his keyboard to develop the work of fiction you read.
This message, whether you agree with it or not, is the essence behind the
story. It’s the core of the work surrounding it. The author’s premise might be
“family before friends”, “hard work pays off” or something as simple as “love
conquers all”. Whatever the story, somewhere between the lines is the reason
for its being; the premise.
Plot it Out
Your plot is your road-map. It’s
the start, the middle and the end. It’s your rising and falling actions, climax,
conflict and resolution. Every good story relies on a good plot. Needless to
say, we are often plagued by novels with terrible plot lines that still
miraculously make it to the bestseller list. That doesn’t necessarily mean that
the plot doesn’t appeal to a majority of people; remember, what you like may or
may not be what others like. In most of these cases, well rounded characters
and the ‘fab of the moment’ might be major causes for the novel’s success (yes,
lady luck is important in a lot of cases). Still, with a good plot line, you
can never go wrong!
Create your Characters
Let’s be completely honest…each
time I ask a group of people in a creative writing class, or any of my students
at school, what makes a story interesting, the first answer is usually: characters!
If you compare writing to painting, your premise would be your canvas, your
plot the colors, and your characters the brushes you use. Depending on how rich
they are, how much you really know them, and how real they seem to the reader, your
characters, with everything they do and say, could make or break your story.
This is not something you could just cook up, and I suggest you don’t overlook
their importance. It doesn’t matter if your character is a dust particle
flowing across the milky way; make it important to you and the story, and it
will be important to your readers!
The Extras!
Frankly, once you’ve gotten the premise,
plot and characters set, the extras are basically frosting on top of the cake.
That doesn’t take away from their importance, mind you – to me, cake without
frosting is not cake at all. Still, without the three amigos mentioned above,
the extras are pretty useless. Things like setting, mood, tone, voice, style,
symbolism, background, and others are there to make your story stronger, not
necessarily dictate its outcome. True, without a unique style, an interesting
setting, and a captivating mood, your story will probably be a bit too bland.
Still, I prefer to build the house before picking out the furniture.