A good story has the ability to keep readers captured and unable to put the book down because they can’t wait to know what is going to happen next. We’ve all experienced that feeling of being completely absorbed in a story, and being enthralled by the suspense and anticipation.

So, what are the elements of a great story, and how do the masters do it? Some of it is talent, but a large part of it is also mastering the five vital elements of storytelling.

1.     Meaning and Substance

Your story must have direction or purpose no matter what age group you are writing for. There must be some moral meaning to it that you capture through your characters’ words and actions. A story with substance will also involve the audience and make them interact with the plot. The meaning behind your story must resonate with the audience you are targeting.

2.     Love the story you tell

Tell the type of story you love, don’t force yourself to write about something you don’t care about. Be passionate about your story and never present it like an outsider; as a storyteller you both navigate and are part of the story. Use language that you feel comfortable with so that there is a clear style and tone to your story.

3.     Create vivid images

A good story will create images in the head of your listener; they might be different to how you picture the story but that is the best part of storytelling. Your story must allow everyone to imagine and experience the story in their own way. It is best to start your story with some sort of action that delves right into the plot and the world of the characters.

4.     Conflict and Resolution

Good stories always have well-defined characters who have to achieve or go through something. The story must present all aspects of the characters’ lives that block them from achieving their goal. The main characters must have both strong and weak characteristics, so that the need for resolution keeps your readers interested.

5.     Authentic Ending

A good story will always have a strong, authentic solution. Avoid writing “wimpy” stories that end with an easy and predictable solution. Think of your own unique twist to the story that somehow leaves the characters transformed and brings out the meaning and substance of your story in a unique way.

 (This is a post by Ivelina Dineva)

(Image by Jessie Willcox Smith (1863 – 1935) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

• The Introduction

The introduction or ‘lead’ of your story is the most important part. t should be a short summary of the facts, but at the same time needs to be able to draw the reader in. A lead should ideally be between 20 and 25 words.

• The Inverted Pyramid

The layout of a well structured report is often referred to as the inverted pyramid. The introductory paragraph contains all the most important facts. The following paragraphs also contain information, but are used to back up the facts in the introduction. As the paragraphs go on, the importance of the information decreases, but it must still be essential to the story. The closing paragraph must contain the last bit of information that is essential to the story e.g. background information.

• Style

Most newspapers have a formal style to their reports. They deliver the facts of any event without bias or prejudice. Remaining impartial is key to writing a good story. A reader will quickly notice when the writer is biased towards one of the parties in a story.

• Feature Writing

Features differ from normal articles in a few ways. Firstly, the writer of the piece will write from a ‘first-person’ perspective; writing about their own experience and interactions with people mentioned in the article. Secondly, they don’t have a lead like a conventional report. This is to lure a reader in and have them read the full story, rather than giving all the information up front.

• Jargon

As a journalist, it is best to refrain from using jargon in any report. Write everything in layman’s term. This is to avoid any confusion or misinterpretation.

Writing for a newspaper is hard work, but if you stick to the basic rules you will be able to write accurate and professional reports.

(This is a post by our intern Kristian Meijer)

(Image by The Air Force Departmental Publishing Office (AFDPO) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons)

There’s no right or wrong when it comes to writing styles. The best way to develop your style is to let it come naturally by making writing an every day activity. However, there are some basic style tips that you can keep in mind when writing:

1.     Don’t write about things that you don’t know about.

A large part of developing your style is about being familiar with what you are writing about. If you write about a topic you have no idea about then your writing will either sound forced or completely inaccurate. Make sure that you are comfortable with what you are writing about. If you are not, your readers will immediately notice it.

2.     Write naturally.

Don’t use big words that you don’t know the meaning of or that don’t come naturally to you. Many people write in a similar manner to the way they speak, this way your writing sounds genuine. It helps to sometimes read aloud what you wrote; if you don’t feel comfortable saying it out loud then need to find some other way to figure out what is not natural and where your weak points are.

3. Read as much as you can.

It will be hard to develop your style if you don’t read because reading helps to expand your vocabulary and exposes you to the way in which paragraphs are structured and sentences composed. You will get a general feel for how novels are plotted and pieced together and how a story is put together. Read as many books are as you can and from as many genres as you enjoy. Even read the classics, they may sometimes be boring but it really helps to get the hang of writing with style.

4.     Imitate the masters.

Copying the style of your favourite masters is the best type of exercise for getting a feel for style. However, never copy their characters, their worlds and their plots.

5.     Challenge yourself.

Don’t be scared to experiment. Write about whatever comes to your mind, some of it will be really bad and some of it will be brilliant. Don’t be scared to explore your inner world. Go as far as writing about the thing that most frightens, angers, and bewilders you. Become that thing and completely immerse yourself in your writing experience. This is some of the most difficult writing you will do, but it will really help to discover more about your writing preferences and help you to grow as a writer.

6.     Write every day

I left this one last because it is the most obvious one. If you don’t write every day then it will take you a very long time to develop your story and your style. Write about things you care about, but also try to dabble into different genres if you are not certain what you really love. Practice every day, your voice will only be born from a lot of words and a lot of work. Don’t be complacent and always remember to challenge yourself further. Your voice is already there; all you have to do is lead it out of the dark.

(Post by Ivelina Dineva)

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1.     The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White

This book is brilliant for anyone who is interested in how the technical side of writing can affect a writer’s style, such as the use of elementary rules of language, as well the principles of composition, and words and expressions that are commonly misused. “No book in a shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume.” – The Boston Guide

2.     Writing to learn by William Zinsser

The title sums up the book’s philosophy, if you want to be a good writer then writing should be part of your daily routine. Zinsser also provides a wide variety of crisp, clear and stylish writing samples from various disciplines, and claims that fancy words don’t necessarily mean a good story.

3.     The Writer’s Journey by  Christopher Vogler

An absolute must-read for anyone who is seeking some inspiration to become a writer. From Harry Potter, to Lord of the Rings and to Star Wars, Vogler tells the unique and often tough journeys of world famous writers’ paths to success.  It is a deeply moving book for those who want to write timeless fiction.

4.     Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

If you want to learn some techniques and exercises to help you with the ins and outs of developing a plot then this would be the book for you. Bell explores how plot influences structure and looks at the art of developing complex plots, how to revise plots and how to solve plot problems. Not only is he a bestselling and award winning suspense writer, but he also makes sure that by the time you have finished reading the book you will be convinced that anyone, including you, can learn to craft a good plot.

5.     A Writer’s Guide To Staying Out Of The Rejection Pile by Noah Lukeman

Lukeman, a New York literary agent, gives an in depth account of how to avoid rejection from a publisher by learning how to convince the overworked literary agent that your book has outstanding qualities. This book is invaluable not only for writers from all types of genres, but also for journalists, poets and screenwriters.

By Ivelina Dineva

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Collect Words

As a writer, your most basic and vital tool is words. Collecting words or phrases you like is a good idea because then you’ll have tools at hand when you sit down to write. When you hear or read a word you like, write it down in a notebook and maybe also include its definition. They might be unusual words or words that work well for certain topics or genres.

You could also make and keep word clouds where you pick a topic, for example “hair”, and write down every word and phrase connected with it, such as “frizzy”, “cascading off her shoulders”, “spiky” and so forth. This should jump-start your imagination and help you describe things. Keep these word clouds in your notebook for when you can’t think of an adjective.

Bite off Small Chunks

You don’t have to jump right in and write a whole story from start to finish. In fact, it can better to master different aspects of a story instead of writing a big load of drivel.

You could practice writing different parts of a story such as the first paragraph/page/chapter, prologue, character descriptions, dialogue and action scenes. Pick a part, e.g. the first paragraph and set yourself the task of writing four (or however many you want) different ones. If you really like one that you’ve written, you could use it as a basis for a complete story.

A good idea here is to study what other authors have done. Collect great dialogue, character descriptions, first sentences etc. and keep them in your notebook. Try to identify for yourself why you like what they have written.

Genre/ Theme Play

One of the problems as a writer, is that we don’t know what genre or theme we would like to use or are good at. I use the word “theme” because “genre” is limiting.

So here’s an idea: take a couple of characters and a setting and use them to write short pieces in a variety of genres or themes. Another idea would be to pick five different genres or themes, consider their characteristics and write a short piece in each genre.

When doing these exercises, it’s easier to work with experiences you’ve actually had and it will make your writing more convincing to the reader. Of course, if your genre is fantasy, this might not apply to you. Once you know what you enjoy writing about, you can work from there to write a complete story.

So, grab your favourite chair and get writing. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you produce when you approach it from a different angle.

(This a post by our new intern Talia Mitrani)

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1.       Plan your book

It’s tricky to decide exactly what you want to write about. Choose your topic first; for example do you want to write a fantasy, literary or business book? Identify your target group, are you writing for children or adults? If you are writing for children, what age group are you aiming at? You will probably not have a clear vision of exactly what you want your book to be like when it is finished, but getting an idea in your head is the best way of starting.

2.       Design the world and characters.

Let’s say you’ve decided to write a fantasy book. Start with composing the world you want to create, will it have elements of reality? How will the people look? What will this fantasy world be like? What will the map of your new world look like? Where will your characters go? Who are the characters? What are they like? Design a portfolio for each character, you must know exactly what their personalities are like, how they look, what they do, what their biography is.

3.       Design the storyline.

Again, this isn’t easy, and most writers are unsure of exactly how the plotline will unfold until they have written the first five chapters of their novel. However, when you start writing your novel make sure that you have a vision of what you want your story to be about, even if you are unsure how it is going to end or what the climax of the story is going to be.

4.       Write the book.

So now that you have an idea of your fantasy world and the plot, it’s time for the hardest part: sitting down and actually writing the book. This takes a lot of discipline, time and motivation. The more you have an idea of how you would like your book to unfold, the easier it will be to write it. If you do not, it is not fatal; oftentimes the plot reveals itself as you write each scene.

5.       Editing.

The final step is proofreading and editing your book over and over again. This is where you polish your book and turn it into a piece worthy of publication. You can even let some of your friends and relatives read the book before you send it off as they might notice mistakes you haven’t spotted.

(This is a post by our new intern Ivelina Dineva)

(Image by Meul (Own work) [GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or FAL], via Wikimedia Commons)

Anyone who is a writer, or aiming to be a writer, will know that discipline is probably the hardest part of writing. We are always full of justifications, excuses and the most tragic of them all, laziness. It is because we are lazy that we are full of excuses and reasons as to why we cannot sit down and write every day. We even resort to saying that we are just not feeling inspired, but that is just as much of a good reason for not writing as saying ‘I don’t feel like it today’. The problem fellow writers, is not a lack of inspiration but a lack of discipline.

I am not denying that there are those days when we do lack inspiration, but if you have already started your writing project you do not need to have inspiration to sit down and write that one page a day. The important thing is that you had the inspiration to start your writing project, from there onwards it is all about discipline. If you are lacking inspiration, just sit down and write anyway. Even if what you have written today is not as great as your other pages, just write it, because every day that you do not write is an opportunity missed at becoming a brilliant writer. Laziness hinders us from so many great opportunities in our lives; don’t let it hinder you from becoming a writer. Discipline and perseverance makes up 80% of your writing project.

The trick is to set a limit as to how much you would like to write every day. Yes, every single day. Decide whether you want to write x amount of words per day, x amount of pages per day, or x amount of hours per day, it all depends on the amount of time you have at your disposal. Just make sure that you do not set a limit which in reality you simply don’t have time for. Setting a limit which you cannot stick to will not help to motivate you. Personally, what I find the easiest target to be is to start off with a page a day. A page a day is doable and you can write it at any time of the day or night. You can gradually increase that one page a day to two or three or more as you get into the habit of writing every day. The hardest part is forming that habit; once you have formed the habit of writing every day you will find it hard to go without writing every day. The more you write, the better you become and the more you will find yourself bursting with new ideas. Just remember: be persistent, be disciplined, and don’t put yourself down. Once you have found discipline in writing, you will also have found freedom in writing.

(This is a post by our new intern Ivelina Divena)

USING YOUR HEAD

Chances are that when you start writing poetry you stick to your own rhythm. Expressing yourself can be hard enough without having to do so to the beat of somebody else’s drum. There’s nothing wrong with this: if you know the rhythm of your voice, then you can write powerful poetry with a structure all of your own.

But there’s a fine line between a poem and a ramble, and if you don’t pay attention to your poem’s structure, it’s in danger of becoming like one of my mum’s cakes: so loose it falls apart. It may appear easier to express yourself without the limitations of a traditional structure, but this attitude can be deceiving. Left to ponder shape, how can you pin down exactly what it is you’re feeling, precisely which elements of your turbulent inner voice to capture on paper? Writing to a traditional form may seem restrictive, but it can actually free your mind by creating a structure for you. When you don’t have to worry about structure, you can devote more of your creative energy to playing with content.

MAKING INROADS

Too many people try to write a beautifully crafted epic poem on their first go. It’s like waking up one morning and deciding you’re going to win Olympic gold in judo, although the only tussle you’ve ever had is trying to wrestle open your Pop Tarts. As a poet, you need to become more aware of the fascinating and surprising powers of language to awaken long-lost ideas and memories, and the best way to do this is to start small.

Look at the fragments of ideas and phrases in your notebook and play with them. Don’t try and craft a masterpiece just yet, simply start scribbling, write without thinking and see where it leads. Automatic writing, as it’s often called, doesn’t have to make sense – in fact, the more arbitrary your subject the better the results. The idea is to open up your unconscious mind, which is such an important part of writing poetry, and to practise using this vast resource of feeling and emotion. By starting small, by tuning your mental antennae for unexpected resonances, moods and memories, poems will begin to shape themselves in no time.

MODEL LOOKS

If you’re having trouble finding inspiration for your poems, or can’t seem to knock them into shape, the answer may lie in imitation. Think of it as a kind of flattery. Philip Larkin, for example, claimed that when he started out he always had a copy of Yeats on his kitchen table next to his open notebook. Try imitating a poet you’ve always admired. Don’t blatantly transplant lines from famous poems into your work, but do take a close look at a poem that really moves you and try working out why.

Next, try writing one of your own that has a similar structure, rhythm or theme. Using models is an excellent way to practise probing into the depths of your creativity and to gain a comprehensive feel for language and form. Just remember that imitation alone won’t make you a great poet. Think of it as riding on the shoulders of a mentor: they can only carry you so far, then you have to make your own way. If you carry on using other poems as models, you’ll never be able to get your own unique voice on the page.

If you have writing you’d like to get published, contact Infideas, an Oxford based publisher that specialises in self-publishing.

(Image by Anyaka, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)

Meter

Meter measures rhythm by emphasis on syllables – stressed and unstressed syllables. A unit of stressed and unstressed syllables is called a foot.

The pattern of “feet” involves words that have to be written in italics, such as:

• Iambic
• Trochaic
• Anapestic
• Dactylic

Iambic foot has the emphasis on the second syllable, like Lan-CE-lot. Creative Writing Now (CWN) explains it simply as bah-BAH.

Trochaic foot is the opposite with the emphasis on the first syllable, like CON-crete or BAH-bah.

Anapestic foot has emphasis on the third syllable, like ded-i-CAT-e or bah-bah-BAH.

Dactylic foot is the opposite with the emphasis on the first of three syllables, like WED-nes-day or BAH-bah-bah.

You also get spondaic foot – two stressed syllables – and pyrrhic foot – two unstressed syllables.

The other thing about meter is that word count matters. It starts with monometer – one foot per line – and just keeps going. The last example mentioned by CWN is heptameter – seven feet per line.

Despite its emphasis on, well, emphasis, meter doesn’t dictate the real rhythm of the poem. How poems are read depends very much on the reader, as well the use of punctuation and the overall tone of the poem.

Rhyme

It’s important to note that not all poems rhyme, but when they do rhyme, they follow a rhyme scheme. As one would expect there are a number of rhyme schemes.

• End rhyme: this pretty self-explanatory; it’s when the last words of certain lines rhyme. These can be the first two lines, the second and fourth lines or any other combination.
• Internal rhyme: is also pretty self-explanatory; it’s when two words within one line rhyme – usually, but not always, at an intentional pause or break.
• Slant rhyme: relies on similarity by association rather than “true rhyme”. CWN is more technical when it refers to assonance and consonance. So similar vowel sounds, like cheap and beat, are used or similar consonant sounds, like take and lack.

Daily Writing Tips (a fabulous resource) also lists:

• Rich rhyme: which uses words that sound that same but mean completely different things, like bear and bare.
• Eye rhyme: words that look the same but don’t sound the same, like, and I quote the example given on Daily Writing Tips, Shakespeare’s most famous sonnet:

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:

• Identical rhyme: simply using the same word twice.

One more thing on rhyming patterns: rhyming line patterns are determined with the letters a-d. Each line receives an appropriate letter. So you can get abab, or aabb cc dd, or acbd …etc.

Happy writing.

(Image by rick, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)