A Guide to Writing the Perfect Story
When it comes to crafting the perfect story, advice tends to be fairly subjective. What might work for some writers, won’t necessarily work for others.
But these specific rules… they worked for me.
Let’s discuss.
First and foremost, at the very start of your story, you want to make the introduction of your character memorable. After-all, the beginning sets the tone for the entire narrative. Readers are going to remember two major things when they walk away. The beginning and the end. And we’ll revisit this idea later.
Basically, you should find a way to surprise us.
When your story begins, it’s important to give the reader some initial stakes. Hint at a challenge to overcome. The issues don’t have to be world ending or complicated, but they need to feel important to your character. Quiet stakes can feel wildly loud, when they really mean something.
Give your character something to strive for. Something to climb.
Having a sense of time and place is important to every story. Your character needs to feel rooted in where the story takes place, so your reader can feel rooted in the story. Is it a place your character is visiting, a mysterious land where they are on a journey, or simply, just their home?
Make us see it. Make us feel it. Establish your setting.
This doesn’t mean the setting can’t change. Your characters should grow as the world around them does. Sometimes that means the setting around the character changes, or the time. Sometimes it’s the people.
Make new places feel as fresh and real as the original. It’s okay to move, and it’s okay to come back to where you started.
Great stories, sometimes come full circle.
You have a setting, you have stakes… but who is your character?
Think about your main character, and who they are outside of the goals you’ve established for them. Your character should be more than just their stakes.
What is your character passionate about? Food? Books? What is their family life like? What kind of music do they like? Little things like this, help color in your character.
That said, don’t fall into the trap of feeling like your character has to be likeable at all times.
Great characters are flawed. They’ve done things they aren’t proud, they’re going to DO things they aren’t proud of. And they’ll grow and learn, even as they disappoint the reader.
The trick is making sure we keep rooting for them. That we care about them, even in the face of their mistakes.
While you’re developing your main character, with their goals and their flaws, remember… there are others in your character’s world. Your main character shouldn’t be the only one who is developed.
Think about your supporting characters. Develop them. Remember, good supporting characters aren’t merely there to service the main character. They should have their own goals and stakes. Their own dreams and flaws.
And don’t be afraid to introduce new characters later in the story.
Don’t be afraid to use the real world to inspire your fictional one.
The world is full of beauty and wonders. Explore it, dig in. Pull from your adventures into writing your own.
I’m talking a lot about rules here.
No matter what you are writing, there are going to be some rules. Rules of the genre. Rules of storytelling. But if you want to break those rules, as many revolutionary writers tend to do, it’s important to know what those rules are.
Out of the box word count? Make the story standout, so readers can’t put it down. Unique POV? Dig deep into making it work.
Know the rules in order to break them. Study up.
Research is important, and for a lot of reasons.
Sometimes we research to really nail down what the world we’re exploring. The setting, the time, the characters, how certain things in your world work… it all depends on what you’re writing.
Take your time, and read up.
Even when your story is done, and it feels as polished as you can get it… remember to share your work.
With critique partners, beta readers, your writing group… it’s important to get eyes on whatever you’re working on, from someone who has a little distance from it.
Remember to share.
As much as writing is important when it comes to crafting a good story, not writing is also key. You need to take a breather from time to time, and refill the creative well.
Don’t burn out. Take time to relax.
Remember.
They say most readers will walk away remembering the beginning and the end.
But if you do a really great job.
They’ll remember all of it.