the craft. good storytelling.

I saw someone on Twitter say something to the effect of, “write the story that you won’t mind reading one million or so times.” I don’t want to even imagine how many times I’ve read my current work in progress, but the game is the game, right? But it got me to thinking about storytelling.

From our ancestors passing down stories verbally to eventually being able to record them, the concept of storytelling is age old. Some of the best stories I’ve ever heard have been from hood guys in Philly. Or elders sitting around on a porch or in a backyard. When we’re writing, it’s important to look at the important elements that make a story interesting.

One thing I’ve found, even in reading my story over and over, is that I love my main characters’ love story. I find myself grinning at their exchanges even when I’m knee deep in word comments trying to make the story the best it can be. And so I guess that brings me to my first point which is characters!

Characters

Developing characters that feel like real people are essential. Fajr Muhammad did a masterclass on this which of course is up on our video content page. Characters need depth. It’s easy for a character to come off flat in a written medium. We can’t see their expressions or read their body language like we do when watching films or television. So, it’s important that we explore who they are in a meaningful way to bring them to life on the page. Get to know them. I like doing character profiles where you answer a lot of questions about your character. What was the relationship like between their parents? What are some of their endearing qualities? Not so endearing qualities? Everything you write about the character may not end up in your story, however, the knowledge of who they are, will help them show up in an authentic way.

Plot

Now, plot is often first when looking at storytelling and that might be true. But I just find more often that even if a plot is good, bad characters will sink the ship for me. However, I’m no expert. I’m only sharing as I relate to the elements of storytelling. In your story, something needs to happen. This isn’t solely in regard to writing fiction either. Whether you’re writing an essay or a novel it’s like, what is the point? What is the thing that brings these characters together? Specific to novel writing, you’ll have your hero or main character, some type of opposition and then a myriad of supporting characters. Things have to happen. And not just happen, but in a way that will keep a reader wanting to know what happens next. This is the drama, the mystery, the point of it all. At the most basic level, plot normally follows a structure of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Conflict

I like to think of conflict here too because it’s an essential element of the plot to me. If I’m writing an essay, what happened to me or in my life or someone else’s that made something else difficult? Whether it’s highlighting the adversity of a hot new artist before they finally signed their deal. Or your main character getting dumped when they thought they were about to get engaged. Stories need conflict. And if you’re anything like me, sometimes it’s really hard to do mean things to these characters that you care for, but it’s necessary. What stands in the way of their resolution?

Setting

Place. Where is all this happening? World building is its own little practice in storytelling. How are you setting the scene? Some of those great stories I mentioned that are told on back porches and such, often have great world building as a part of it. Have you ever heard a story start, “so check it, we were at the …'' Fill in the blank as the person starts to go deep into setting the scene. “Friday night, we just left the club, humidity was hanging in the air, etc.” It’s the same for the stories we tell. Your reader wants to be there with you. Don’t skimp on those details.

Theme or Purpose

Lastly, we often talk about themes or purpose. Why are we telling the story? And it’s funny because sometimes I don’t know the reason until I’ve written the whole thing. My debut novel is based on a young songwriter trying to make it in the music industry and finding love in the process. Part of my “why” is knowing how difficult it can be for women to navigate that world. When I was first starting my book, my “why” was that I wanted to apply for a fellowship and needed sample pages. But so much revealed itself as I got into the work. So don’t be afraid to jump in and later decipher exactly what you hoped to say with your work.

It’s not rocket science quite honestly and it’s because there aren’t really any new ideas under the sun, right? But what we bring to storytelling is our unique voice and experiences that flavor our stories in different ways. The love triangle in my book is about as groundbreaking as florals for spring. But where I feel I thrive is being able to convey deep emotions in my writing. I think readers will love Carli and Tau. I think it will feel heartwarming and familiar. Maybe you write the most beautiful prose. Or you are just wicked with plot twists. Whatever it is that you bring to the table as a storyteller, hone that talent, read a lot and most importantly, write. See where it all takes you.