If you're looking to turn writing from a hobby into a profession, you've probably asked yourself, "What makes a great story?" What is it that transforms a simple diversion into a truly unforgettable read?
Human beings are creatures of pattern. In fact, pattern recognition is one of the things that defines our humanity. So, it only makes sense that successful stories will have some similarities in what makes them successful.
When I think about what makes a great story, my mind flits to classic archetypes, memorable characters, and relatable plot points — even if we’re talking about sci-fi and fantasy. Lord of the Rings? Middle Earth may not be real, but the enduring bond between Frodo and Sam is something that affects us on a human level.
Today I’ve gathered together what readers and writers collectively think makes a story great.
5 Elements of a Great Story
1. Setting
I already mentioned Lord of the Rings so let’s continue with that, shall we? Tolkien is known for his detail and depth in every aspect of storytelling, including setting. I’d argue that The Shire itself is just as much of a character as the hobbits that exist within it.
Immersion is incredibly important in any novel — you want to draw your reader in and convince them to stay; and while a relatable character can do this, our egos can draw us even more to a place that we can picture ourselves in while reading.
So, rather than shoot of a quick 'Sarah arrived home, exhausted, and immediately went to bed', try something more along the lines of:
Sarah's climb up two flights of carpeted stairs, usually easy, drained her energy. She fumbled with the locks on the flimsy door, the click of each one a small reassurance against the noise of the street below. Inside, the dim light revealed cracked walls and aging fixtures. The building, a relic of the 1970s, had never felt like home, but it was all she had. She crossed the linoleum-tiled entryway, each step heavy with weariness, and collapsed onto the unmade bed. Sleep overtook her before her head even hit the pillow, restless and uninvited.
Point out elements of Sarah’s surroundings tell you a bit about Sarah herself too. Never avoid a good chance to characterize your settings!
2. Character
Why is the Harry Potter series so successful? There are many elements. Timing allowed a generation to grow up as the characters in the book did, the school houses created a feeling of team loyalty among readers, but most importantly, the archetypes of its characters gave everyone reading someone to relate to. But how do you create a relatable character?
In Jungian psychology, archetypes define a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern or thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches. By looking to these, you can avoid the Mary-Sue trap and build relatable characters that your readers can latch onto that are not simply reflections of the writer.
Harry Potter is The Hero. Dumbledore, The Magician. Fred and George — The Jesters. And so on. Character archetypes are the closest a writer can get to a cheat sheet for a winning novel — as long as they know what they’re doing in the other parts of their writing too.
3. Plot
Perhaps this goes without saying, but a good story needs a good plot. This is something that is easier said than done. There are a multitude of outline structures that you can find online if you do a bit of searching, but I really love the ‘Save the Cat’ method.
Blake Snyder was an American screenwriter who published the novel ‘Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need’ in 2005. The outline divides a plot into ‘beats’ that can be applied to any genre of writing well beyond the screenplay.
First, divide your story into three acts. From there, divide each act into scenes.
I’m going to be talking to you more about Save the Cat in a future blog but a resource I highly recommend to break down plot in your mind and apply it to your own story is savethecat.com’s listing of Beat Sheets.
4. Theme
No, no, we’re not talking about a fevered elementary school paper about what we want for Christmas (sorry, couldn’t help it). We’re talking about the overarching theme of your novel — the message you want to get across, the meaning that you explore throughout your literary work!
Like with characters and plot, there are patterns when it comes to themes, tried and true options that tend to do the trick in pulling in a reader and helping them to relate to your story.
Themes are nearly endless, as you’ll find if you take a spin through this listing, but five that you’ll see time and time again are:
Good vs Evil
Love
Coming of age
Courage and perseverance
Redemption
… I’ll also throw in a bonus, of ‘Revenge’, which can act as the darker side to your Redemption theme.
5. Style
Think about your top three favourite authors. I bet that as each name comes to mind, you also get a feeling about them, reflective of their works. My feeling for Chuck Palahniuk is very different from my feeling for Audrey Niffenegger. A comparison between the two could perhaps be described as rough vs soft.
As a writer, you want to find your style. A writer’s style is their voice, so of all areas this is the hardest to advise on. But some tips I would suggest for bringing your own voice out would be:
Write in the point of view that feels right to you. Don’t let anything else influence this. If you are using a comfortable POV, your voice will have more room to grow.
Meditate on your prevalent internal moods. Are you by nature a positive person? Let that shine through. Are you anxious? Don’t hide that — allow it to colour your work.
Has a particular writer inspired your own writing journey? Start off by paying homage to them. An artist learns by tracing and copying — a writer can do the same. Eventually your own voice will make its way out.
Identify why you write. Is it just for fun? Is it for commercial purposes? Is it to get a deeper message across? The gravity or lack thereof should be felt in your words.
A quote often attributed to Ernest Hemingway goes: “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
This applies very much to finding your voice. Don’t hide any part of yourself — let it come through in your writing and you’ll have cemented your style.
Prep your story formula and get writing!
I hope that this has given you a base from which to work when crafting your next novel. As creative types I know it can be in our blood to go against the grain, but when it comes to honing your abilities as a writer, there’s nothing wrong with trying out methods that have worked for hundreds of others in the past.
Make them your own, find your voice, and I’m sure you’ll have a winning novel out in the world in no time!
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