Project: Improve my storytelling!

[Reiqua]

So recently, I decided to start a project of improving my storytelling.

I've got a book I've been reading through that gives bits of advice on how to tell a good story - and I've been getting great advice from wonderful NTWFers who are more experienced writers than me and are kindly reviewing my works in the Times (you guys rock XD)

The idea of this thread is:
- For me to post bits of advice that my book gives me
- For you to post your own storytelling tips, or tips you come across in other places
- For anyone to comment on or discuss the tips people mentioned here - maybe as a writer you feel like a certain piece of advice is great, or that it wouldn't work for you at all (but be sensitive of course!)
- And also for anyone else who's looking to improve their own writing/storytelling! Whatever stage we're at, I feel like we always have more to learn from each other and we can all be continually improving
- And finally just so I have a way of keeping everything in one place

Why I started this project:
(just in case you were wondering, but of course if you weren't wondering and think this entire section is just super egotistical of me, you can just skip it - that's why I put it in a spoiler)

SPOILER: Click to show

Growing up, I always loved reading the NT - it was the highlight of my week!

I remember in high school, everyone else would go out on a Friday night, but I would stay home and read the NT xD

I always used to look up to the big name authors who got published in the Times a lot and aspire to be like them...

Yeah, that's not my story...

I don't have a distinct memory of ever having read any NT entry before I submitted my first - a story about TDMBGPOP. Although on second thoughts I may have read 'Child of the Drenched' and maybe a few other things by Kristykimmy before submitting...

The reason I started submitting articles to the Times was because I had ideas for stories and thought I may as well get trophies for them. Like "How did TDMBGPOP get there?" Or when your 'pet asks you "Was Coltzan a good King?" was he? Or "How on earth did there come to be a stick lying around near the meteor when there are no trees on Kreludor?" These questions needed answering and so I wrote stories to answer them

Then, after a while, I went on hiatus - I was half-heartedly looking around neo, wondering if it was worth my while to actually come off hiatus, when I realised the Times was the perfect opportunity to do what I'd been toying with for a while - practicing and improving my storytelling skills!

You see, IRL I do lots of storytelling - in oral storytelling, though - not written. But the fact that I do it a lot doesn't mean I'm any good at it! I'd love to be able to tell a better story. And I'd love for it to be a bit more automatic - so I don't have to think as much about basic things whenever I'm sitting down to write a new story.

I decided it would be a good idea to write a new bunch of stories. Each story that I come to, I'll be adding at least one more principle of storytelling into the making of it, and hopefully it'll show up in better writing!

I figure practice makes perfect. And the best kind of practice is when you can get great, helpful, encouraging and honest feedback from people like the NTWF!

Yay! Happy days!

[Reiqua]

So I guess I'll start the ball rolling with a quote from my book - something that I've tried to focus on in writing my current series: Eye of the Crokabek.

One character... one problem
A story must have a person with a problem; one main character who solves one main problem. Unless you have a person with a problem, what you write or tell might be a good joke, incident, character study or description, but it isn't a story.
...
Let the main character solve his problem himself. Don't bring in the United States Cavalry to save him at the last minute. Audiences rarely forgive that sort of thing. They want the main character to solve his problem through his own thought, strength, or ingenuity.

And if I'm going to be quoting from this book, I guess I should reference it...
It's Know How to Tell a Story by Clifford Warne.
I doubt anyone will have come across it before, because it's Australian, Christian, and 45 years old. All of which gives it a rather niche audience

Anyway, if you have thoughts/comments on this quote (basic though it is) I'd love to hear them!

Also in my series, Tim is the main character (*gasp* spoilers!) and I've tried to make it that the problem is his problem and he has to solve it himself. Once the series is done, I'd love to hear any feedback on how you think I went with this!

[Reiqua]

Three types of story

There are three types of story [...]

There's the accomplishment story: a person struggles to solve a problem or achieve a purpose [...] When the explorer sets out to find the lost city, when the mountie rides off to get his man, when the cop starts to work out whodunnit, there's an accomplishment story. So accomplishment stories show a main character struggling to overcome all opposition until he gets what he wants.

The second type of story is a decision story: a person struggles with forces for and against, which influence his decision. When the judge has to decide guilty or not guilty, when the girl must choose between the rich old man and the poor young many, when a hero chooses between liberty and death, there's a decision story. Decision stories show a main character struggling to make up his mind.

The third type is the theme story: a person struggles to realise a truth of vital importance to his living. King Midas wishes that everything he touches would turn to gold. He gets his wish. Then he kisses his little daughter and takes a mouthful of hot food. A sad, sorry king learns that gold isn't everything. When a man realises that you must look before you elope, when someone learns that he who hesitates gets bumped in the rear, there's a theme story.

I'm intrigued by those three categories, because I don't know that I would always categorise stories like that...

What do other people think? Would you really categorise your stories into those three types?
Can you mix more than one of those plot types into the one story??

I'm thinking my next project will be to try and write a 'decision story', since I think accomplishment stories are probably much easier and more frequently done...
Any tips/advice welcome

[June Scarlet]

My biggest tip is to read. Or listen to storytellers, watch movies, giggle at comics, listen to ballads. Stories come in many forms, the written word is just one of them. Read, and it'll help you see how stories can work in action.

And then once you've read it, reread it. I particularly like comics and graphic novels lately, so I'll use that example. I'll read a book the first time just to read it. Then I'll read it again, but read my favorite parts, relive the story. And I'll reread it again, picking apart the story, looking at the techniques they used to get ideas across, spot the foreshadowing the did. And when I'm drawing a comic, and say I'm trying to figure out how to draw an explosion, or draw motion lines? I'll go through my graphic novels, looking for examples of what I want to do, as a place to start.

Of course, I'm the type of person who'll take a newspaper comic, run up to someone all excited and say, "Did you see what they did here? Do you realize how clever and well done that is? That's amazing storytelling!" and the person will just be kind of lost.

[Twillie]

Sort of similar to what June said, but when I read or watch a story, rarely is the first time the most impacting. I feel like this has become more prominent recently, maybe because I'm constantly watching and reading critics and reviews, but the first time I read a story, that's just to break the ice, and then when I go back to reread it, that's when I can appreciate the tricks and twists it uses. It helps for me to know what's already happening as I can then catch the various layers a story has.

So, I think that re-readability is a very important aspect of stories. Something can be entertaining through the first read, but if you want it to be wholesome or worthy, there should be something an audience can go back on and think about more. Whether it be foreshadowing, a deeper theme, or just nuances in the characters that better explain their choices and motivations later on in the story. I always find the second or third read better than the first because of these layered elements.

In regards to the types of stories, I'm honestly not a fan of categorizing. I think it's just the rebel in me, but I just don't like someone telling me "These are the only options you have. Pick one." I just make a story and tell it as it is. I don't really try to figure out what label it falls under, I just let it evolve in whatever direction it may (not trying to sound like a "reject labels, man" kind of person, I just don't want to say "category" over and over XD).

I guess I also struggle in understanding the purpose of categorizing; once they're there, what do you do with them? I'm a believer in dynamic stories in that you'll find elements of each category in them, and you'd have to try really hard for it to fall under just one. I dunno, stories are just too organic to be bothered with labels like that imo.

Of course though, there are some that are taught in schools, like epics, and I've never really challenged their title of "epic." When we analyzed them in class, though, I cared less about what made it an epic and more on what the story was actually trying to say. I mean, isn't the point of a good, immersive story to not be able to see the construction behind it? You don't want to read something and say, "The protagonist is going from point A to B in order to resolve the A story conflict," you want to say, "This character is struggling to figure out what path to take in order to save themselves." Yes, Oedipus is a man of great wealth and he falls at his own hands, thus making him a tragic hero. But... what should be learned from his tragedy? That's what I care more about.

Now, this is just based on my method of telling stories. I can understand if categories benefit someone else as they may better suit their type of organization. Again, sort of relates to the organic nature of stories. I personally just don't find them necessary or altogether interesting.

Now, how does one find their method? I think the best advice I can give for storytelling right now is to do it a lot. Just like with anything else, your first few times doing it will not be your best. So, instead of striving to get it all right the first try, just keep going at it, practicing a lot and incorporating new elements in bit by bit. Also, try out different types of storytelling. I've found that visual storytelling is much easier for me than writing, and I've been able to learn a lot more about characterization and pacing through that. You may be surprised with what suits you.

[M is for Morphine]

I don't know about those 'Three Types of Story'. Like, a story can have more than one of those, or none. And I feel like there are a lot of kinds of stories that aren't covered by them, either. A person gets put into a situation they have no control over, and has to deal with it. Where does that fall? It's not a theme, they're not out for glory, and they don't have a choice in the matter.

If the protagonist goes on an adventure to accomplish the goal, but has to choose between it and something else at the end, is it an accomplishment story or a decision story? I also feel like 'problem or purpose' has to be stretched to the point where it covers almost anything, too much to be useful, in order for most stories to fit one of these categories.

Actually, the more I think about this the less sense it makes. Don't almost all characters have goals they want to accomplish? Don't most of them have to make decisions at some point?

Also the list seems to equate theme with moral. I'd be hard pressed to recall the last time I read a book with a moral, or without a theme.

I think that the list might be a misleading thing to focus on.