What it's About

                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.