Elements of a Good Story
Victory Crayne
A good story is not just what happens to the characters. As a matter of fact, the most important element of a good story is what happens to the reader. The reader is like an invisible participant in the story. The best stories are designed not just to “tell a story” that resides in the imagination of the writer, but are designed to touch the insides of the reader, her emotions, her insights into human nature, her understanding of herself.
Sigh. See what happens when you get up at 3am to pee and find your novel drilling holes in your head so you can’t go back to sleep?
I think that even with science fiction, the best stories are not about the technology or the settings, but are about the “people” in them.
We often lose track of our readers when we spin our fascinating yarns.
A Stage One writer writes a story to please himself.
A Stage Two writer writes a story for a reader to enjoy.
A Stage Three writer writes a story to change the reader. If the reader is so affected that he changes his thinking after closing the back cover at the end, then he’ll remember the story more. It’s more than just finding a way to for your reader to enjoy spending some time with your book.
It reminds me of the old adage:
Tell me and I’ll hear you.
Show me and I’ll understand.
Touch me and I’ll love you.
Victory Crayne
email: victory at crayne dot com
Independent Editor
Writing Coach/Mentor
Ghost Writer
Writer
Public Speaker
I help those who write novels get closer to achieving their dreams.
Tags: change thinking, elements, emotions, good story, imagination, people, reader, story
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