The basics of storytelling.
What is a story anyway?
A story has a beginning, middle, and end
A story has a “shape” and it usually builds like a mountain: beginning; action that speeds up; a high point or "climax"; and a resolution where things come back together in the end.
A story has “cause and effect”! The famous author E.M. Forster explained it best:
The queen died (this is a statement)
The queen died, then the king died (this is a sequence of events)
The queen died, then the king died of grief (Now this is a story!)
Some elements of story:
Scene
Characters that surprise!
Dialogue; remember to avoid “Question & Answer” format!
Summary
Reflection
Point of View
- First person (“I” or “We”)
- Second person (“You”)
- Third person (“She,” “He,” or “They”)
Tense (Past, Present)
Inventory and detail
Conflict and tension
Descriptions that make the story easy to visualize:
Characters
Setting
Sentence-level precision
The story “engine”...the thing that makes you want to turn the page!
Now...want to try writing a fairy tale?
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