Five Ways to Craft a Compelling Story
By: Sarah Forman
Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have when it comes to connecting with other people and making ourselves understood. We do it all the time, we are telling stories when we paint a picture of our lives to our family overseas, when we recount an incident at the dinner table with friends, and when explaining to strangers what we “do.” We are naturally drawn to constructing and sharing our narratives with those around us; but storytelling is a skill to be honed and strengthened, like a muscle.
Whether you are putting pen to paper, trying to charm your way through a Tinder date, or stepping onto the Unravel stage—here are five things you can do to craft a compelling story.
[1] SHOW, DON’T TELL.
Do not announce you are “telling a story.” If you slap someone across the face, you don’t have to let them know it’s your handprint on their red cheek. They can feel it. They are experiencing it. They will respond to it.
A good story is just the same, you don’t need to overexplain, but rather let your audience put the pieces together through the picture you are painting. Create the space for all listeners to fully engage with your characters, your plot, and your stakes.
[2] KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.
Okay, you don’t have to know know them, but keep in mind how much information they need to keep up with you and the story you are telling.
For example, if your story is about a friend, what quick anecdote can you tell that will illustrate his/her character? What descriptors? Does your audience know your setting? Make sure they have been given the basic information to keep pace with you and your story.
[3] LET YOUR AUDIENCE SEE YOU.
It is vital to be vulnerable when crafting your story, by being your most authentic self. Stay honest to your experience and create opportunities for your audience to empathize, by letting them know what you thought, what you felt, and what you saw. We go to bat for characters all the time and are devastated when they are not done justice.
Just think about how angry the world was at Daenerys Targaryen’s plot line in the final season of Game of Thrones.
[4] RAISE THE STAKES.
In order to be a story, there must be conflict. People must know what is at risk; what matters, why does it matter, what’s on the line and what’s going to happen if it doesn’t work out? The matter doesn’t have to be life or death, but if you don’t care, if your characters don’t care, why should anyone else? You can raise the stakes by establishing context for the story, through details that highlight specifically what’s important and showing why it matters, even if it only matters to you.
[5] KNOW YOUR LANDING.
The trick to writing a satisfying ending, is to know where you are going from the start. Flesh out a simple “before” and “after” outline; before is where you set context as a precursor to the conflict. The after should show (not tell!) the resolution by including some kind of transformation of the main character.
THE CLIFFS NOTES...
Show, don't tell through vivid details and let your audience put the pieces together.
Know your audience and how much information they need to keep up with you.
Let your audience see you by being vulnerable.
Raise the stakes, what’s on the line and what’s going to happen if it doesn’t work out?
Know your landing, know where you are going from the start.
Storytelling is powerful but because it is so innate to us, it is easy to take it for granted. There are concrete formulas you can employ when it comes time to craft a narrative, and some of the best tools we have are the most subtle.
Here’s to adding these five tips into your writing toolbox, I hope they help you tell your story with a little more ease!