Three Keys to Successful Story Writing
A Brief Guide to Better Fiction
Dec 4, 2008 Michelle Pannecoucke
There are several aspects to good writing. Some may have an exceptional story to tell, but weak writing skills. There are three areas in which those writers may suffer: in knowing the audience, in developing characters, and in reading. Remember these suggestions on how to be a better story writer.
One: Know The Audience
Stories should be written with the reader in mind. Whether the story is for adults, children, teens, women, young boys or toddlers (to name a few), makes a difference in the tone and style of the writing. Every writer has his or her own unique style. But as the story is intended for a certain audience, the style should be something that they can understand and with which they can identify. It is also important for the content of the story to reflect the intended audience.
Market research is invaluable for knowing and understanding the story's audience. Conversing with the intended audience helps a writer to understand what is of interest to them, what they look for in a story, and what they are going to enjoy enough to want more. It also helps to visit a bookstore and take a look at the books and magazines that are catered toward the same audience. Take notes if it will help to remember later. Use the books and magazines as examples only of style, tone and content.
Two: Develop The Characters
Good characterization is an important aspect of story writing that helps to create a believable story. Just as people conduct their own lives, characters drive their own story forward. For scope for the imagination, think of all the people who are friends or acquaintances, or even strangers just seen walking down the street. Think of the personality traits that make those people interesting. If it helps to organize these thoughts, write them down. Creating a thought web can make it easier to remember ideas.
Writers take ideas from real life. This can be done with characters. A writer can model characters after people he or she knows. Give the characters those interesting personality traits that are in others. Give them desires and passions. Give them likes and dislikes and emotions. Give them families, friends, coworkers, acquaintances and pets. The more qualities of real people that the characters have, the more relatable they will be to the readers. A writer may find that relatable characters will write the story themselves.
Three: Read Other Stories
The more a writer reads, the better his or her writing will be. It not only improves vocabulary, style and grammatical skills, but reading someone else’s story will give some of the inspiration needed to write an original. Just be careful that the inspiration does not lead to copyright infringement. An author should develop his own ideas in his own way and keep the story original. Once the story is written, it is ready for revision and editing.
Take these three keys as tips on writing a successful story. Interact with the audience, let the readers know the characters as though they were real people, and do plenty of reading. And don’t forget to have fun while writing it.
A Writer
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