GET A JUMP ON YOUR CREATIVE PROJECT WITH THESE STORYTELLING BASICS
A TRADITIONAL STORY*:
Is a narrative that typically prioritizes overarching arrangement, or "macro" storytelling concerns over “micro” or sentence or line-level arrangement (as compared to poetry)
Features clear characters with goals, conflicts, and vulnerabilities
Features a single (or series of) internal and external transformations; something has to change between the first page and the last
Places objects and people in settings, managing their movement with clear language
Makes use of specifics—related to scenes, characters, descriptions, settings, bodily sensations—to make the story-world come alive for the reader
Features a general structure in the shape of a triangle or mountain that peaks at a high point/climax and leans to the right
Engages the senses, especially in key scenes such as the climax
Makes conscious and deliberate use of narrative modes (Summary, Scene, Reflection) to reveal itself
Makes conscious and deliberate use of temporal modes (Present, Habitual, Flashback) to give a clear sense of time and to reveal chains of events
Typically focuses less on physical form (i.e. the way the words look on the page) than narrative content
Has a “beating heart” that colors its plot line and figurative-language choices
Has both an “outer story” of actions and occurrences and an “inner story” reflecting its characters' emotional, psychological, and/or private journeys
* Note that these lists refer to traditional forms as opposed to experimental ones and there is some crossover between features of “poems” and those of “stories”
THE FIRST (OR "ZERO" DRAFT)
The first draft can be approached in at least three different ways:
THE SPARK: Sometimes you’ll be sparked by something and you’ll write what comes to you—the spark can come from an event, an emotion, a character.
THE PLAN: A more cohesive form of The Spark, the “Plan” comes with both a spark and a general sense of how the story around the spark will unfold.
THE CONCEPT: Sometimes the toughest to shape into a final draft, the concept-inspired draft begins with an idea rather than concrete places, people, or events. As the concept is refined, specifics must be carved out of the idea in order for the final product to make sense and resonate.
SEARCHING FOR YOUR STORY'S "BIG IDEA"
Once you have a draft, think about what the story might mean. Rather than writing to a “theme,” “concept,” or “idea”—which are all too squishy for our purposes, write to particular people, objects, events, places. Writers (e.g. students in Creative Writing class) are the opposite of readers (e.g. students in English Lit class); that is, we don’t have the luxury of looking back and analyzing our work—nor do we want to! Our job is to finish the work in a way that makes sense to us. We're not looking to shore up themes or insert symbols; we're searching for our story's Reason for Existing, its Big Idea. There are several ways to re-read your first or “zero” draft and find the Big Idea that beats inside its heart:
What about the work feels important? Where does the language feel "weighed down"—ideas and passages that are repeated or seem longer than necessary, and/or have a more "serious" tone. Highlight those sentences and identify the Big Ideas behind them.
Are their unusual phrases that speak to you or jump off the page? Are there any words or phrases that you've reused multiple times? Underline them. What do those phrases mean to you now that you've re-read them?
What's your gut feel about what's important to you in this narrative? Give the work to someone you trust. What feels important to them? Compare notes. Most times our subconscious does the work—and the thing that we think we’re writing about actually ends up being something else!
Most times our subconscious does the work— and the thing that we think we’re writing about actually ends up being something else!
Note that some of the passages you've circled or underlined might be too long, repetitive, or otherwise unwieldy and may be edited (even edited out!) in subsequent drafts, but they're very important in the "zero draft" because they are signs of your subconscious giving you clues to what your story might really be about.
REDRAFTING
Once you have a greater sense of what your work is about, produce at least one more revision, keeping your Big Idea in mind. Your Big Idea might change in the redrafting process. That's more than okay...it means you're tightening your story!
WORKSHOPPING /SHARING YOUR WORK
You’ll discuss your clean, revised draft with your classmates. At first, don’t tell the readers anything about what you want the work to mean; it should stand on its own with no introduction. Much of the workshop will then consist of the reader sharing what they think your work is about. They’ll share impressions and questions, and remark about areas that seem fuzzy, unclear, or out of sync. Sometimes the reader might make a suggestion on how to fix an issue, but these should be taken with a grain of salt—once an issue is identified, only you can decide how to approach it and revise/improve the next draft. A reader might also share some specific craft-related feedback—especially if the work is farther along.
If you are not attending a workshop class, do the above with a trusted reader.
REVISING AND EDITING
Now you are ready to work on revisions based on your reader’s feedback. During the Revision phase you’ll refine the work, clarify questions, add, streamline or conflate ideas/characters, and add specificity where it’s needed. When the work mirrors your intent and your Big Idea—with clarity and meaning—it’s ready for the Editing phase. Here you’ll work on mechanical or tactical fixes, such as arrangement, language, rhythm, and grammar. You may have bigger epiphanies in this phase as well—so be open to making changes that address some of the larger issues too. Revisions/edits will depend on your genre.
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