Each writer has their own reasons that pushed them to become storytellers, but all of them have something in common: the desire to write an impactful story.
Let’s try and think together: what makes a story really impactful? Is it the writing style? Or is it the plot? Here’s an even better idea: try to remember a story that you read and that had a strong impact on you. For me, it was The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, and I answered this Quora question about why I think he did a good job of writing such a powerful story.
In this blog, I will try to elaborate on that answer and pinpoint the key elements I think are necessary to write a strong, impactful, and meaningful story.
Know your readers
Writing a story for an unknown audience is like wandering in the dark. In contrast, understanding your readers ahead of time will help you tremendously. Why is this so? Apart from marketing, it will assist you in selecting the appropriate material and refining the theme of your choice in a way that speaks to your readers, the tone and style; lexicon; and the things they want and enjoy. If you’re creative enough, this alone will drive you to offer something that meets or transcends their expectations.
Write about your strongest beliefs
No one will appreciate your craft if you don’t believe in what you’re writing. I believe that leaving a strong message through the things you hold dear is a useful way to impact your readers because our beliefs come from the most central part of our souls, reflecting our most heartfelt emotions, and as I always preach, sincerity is the key to connecting with your reader through your story, which is the end goal of every story that has ever been told.
Project your perspective
That leads me back to my original point. Making your reader see through your eyes, reflecting what you see in life via your story, is one way to have him relate to you. Make it personal, but don’t overdo it. It does not matter if your life is a movie or if you’re simply an everyday person. Everybody has experiences that they get from interacting with others and the environment around them. These viewpoints and experiences have influenced their current lives and had an impact on their emotions, attitudes, and beliefs. Don’t you think it’s a nice thing to consider when creating your story?
Have a Unique Voice
An author’s voice relates to their whole craft, from the overall tone of the text to the punctuation.
Having a distinct voice is an ideal way to set oneself apart from other authors in the business, allowing readers to recognize your work after only a few pages or sections. Here are some practical techniques to create a powerful voice:
- Write yourself, and be as authentic and genuine as possible.
- Try to write like the big authors that you love.
- Use literary devices to your advantage.
- Clichés can be good sometimes, but avoid them if they’re not necessary.
- Practice writing prompts as much as you can, and try writing other genres to test your full potential.
- Seek other writers, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. A story is a product, and every product is made better with feedback.
- Think reader first.
- Don’t overuse flowery language, trust me. Readers hate it, and too much of anything is good for nothing.
Perfect your Story
If you want to draw readers in, your tale should be excellent from its beginning to its conclusion. In earlier blogs, I discussed the four fundamental pillars of storytelling: story structure, characters, setting, and dialogue. You can read them at your leisure.
To elaborate on the following point, you need to consider these four things to make an impactful story that really makes a difference:
Memorable Characters
Your characters should be vibrant, memorable, one-of-a-kind, and plot-driven. Spend a significant amount of time developing your characters, from their background to the smallest details. I also propose coming up with names that stick in the minds of the readers, so that every time they hear that name, they remember which story that character was in.
Immersive Setting
I’m not going into depth at this moment because I covered it in a prior blog. An immersive location contributes a lot to the characters and plot, so don’t underestimate it and invest some work into making your setting as vibrant as possible. Consider the place, time period, weather, atmosphere, cultural background, and everything else.
Strong Dialogue
Dialogue is often my favourite part of a given novel, and I’m sure most fiction readers would agree. When a new character is introduced in a novel, I eagerly anticipate hearing what they have to say, what sort of person they are, their accent, tone, and so on. Such details will cause your reader to relate to your characters since they will feel like genuine people, which is one of the factors that will make your novel outstanding.
Powerful Plot
The plot is the vehicle for all of the aforementioned, and it is the heart of the topic. Add subplots to your narrative, develop suspense, keep the reader wondering about what will follow, keep your characters under strain, and keep the story fresh and intriguing. Make every event in your tale count and contribute to the growth of your storyline until the very end. Keep that in mind to provide an enticing beginning and a compelling conclusion to your novel.
Final Word
Making an intriguing and strong narrative that truly separates it from others is a challenging task, but it certainly pays off. Keeping in mind that all you do is for the readers, projecting your beliefs and life experiences into your story, developing a distinct author voice, and ensuring a quality story won’t only make it strong and interesting, but it may also impact other people, teach them things, or simply entertain them in a memorable and original way.
If you have any questions or need writing advice, please contact me at bostonscribbles@gmail.com.
As always, have fun writing!
I post every Saturday on 🙌. Read this post and more on my L-D. Boston Blog
