The Story’s The Thing, Dear Writer!
By: Patricia A Faber
Tags: Writing, Writer, Storytelling, Planning, Writing Tips

You have a story to tell, but how do you tell it so others will read it?

Photo by Hello I’m Nik Books on display

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

The story — What is it that you have to tell?

Every piece of writing, short story, novel, memoir, blog post, or article, tells a story. They answer a question, impart information, evoke an emotion, or elicit a memory.

Before you begin writing your story you need to know what it is you wish to tell your reader. What the story is. Where do you want to take your reader? Why do you want to tell your story?

Some of us write for the sheer joy of writing, the joy in telling a story, for the magic of the written word.

“But what’s kept me going the most… is the magic.

The pure magic of storytelling. The way, with just words and only words, you can create an entire world and live there as long as you want. As long as you remember how magical storytelling can be, writing will forever remain the greatest joy.” — Brian Rowe in ‘Never Forget the Magic of Storytelling’.

That’s a lovely sentiment but it wouldn’t pay the rent or necessarily keep the readers reading. In order to do that your story must have structure. Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

ludde-lorentz-47866-unsplash

Ravi Shankar Rajan in his intriguing article ‘1 Powerful Way to Make Your Writing More Interesting to Read. And it only depends on the structure’ applies the golden ratio to the artistry of writing. He says structuring our writing in the 1–3–1 format — will make it more interesting. One part beginning, Three parts the middle, and One part the end.

Beginning - Middle - End

The beginning provides information to the reader about where the writer plans to take them. It introduces the journey and the destination. In the case of fiction, it also introduces the characters who will share the journey and the world through which they move.

The middle gives the reader the facts, the information they need to reach the conclusion.

Writing the middles are brutal. They’re boring. They take forever, Middles are where the quitting happens.

They’re where stories get lost.

Shaunta Grimes in her article ‘Writing the Middle is the Hard Part. Here’s How to do it’.

If you find yourself flipping to the end of the story then the middle hasn’t done it’s work to keep you interested with enough information and highlights to keep you wondering what will happen next — to keep you reading.

The end, of course, is the end. It provides the answer to the question, the resolution of the conflict, the vanquishing of the villain.

A story’s ending should resolve a story’s physical and inner conflict, and provide all closure/continuity necessary for future entries in a series. How to End a Story: 3 Questions That Will Help You Find the Perfect Ending

Why do I keep harping on the need for a plan before you ever start writing that novel of yours? It’s simple. You, as the writer, need to know where you are going to end up before you start on your journey. Otherwise, you get lost along the way.

You plan to take a road trip for example. If you get in the car with every intention of going for a drive but have no idea where you want to go you may end up anywhere or nowhere.