You have a great story to tell. But how will others find out about it unless you write it down? Don’t worry, we’re not going to tell you to go and write a novel. We’re going to teach you how to write a good story for any occasion; whether it’s an interesting anecdote, an event that happened in the news, or something that you cooked up yourself.
There are three steps you need to take to ensure that your story will be heard. These three steps are:
Step one: Begin by capturing the attention of your listener
The first step in writing a story is to make sure that the reader really wants to hear what you have to say. You can do this with a hook, a lead in, or an anecdote that will engage the reader. Once you’ve gained their attention, you can continue to hold it by keeping the reader interested in what you’re saying through a series of interesting questions, or by injecting some humour into the piece.
Step two: Make the reader sympathize with your character(s)
The next step is to make the reader feel as if they’re part of the story. You do this through a combination of effective characterisation and plot development. When a character is well-defined, the reader will be better able to understand what’s going on in the story and how it relates to them. In creating a story, you want to give the reader a strong sense of what happens next and why it matters. You want the reader to feel they’re going to be affected by the outcome of the story.
Step three: End the story on a high note
The last step in writing a story is to bring everything back to a close and leave the audience satisfied. This is where you would typically find a satisfying resolution to your story, or denouement. But you don’t necessarily need a happy ending to write a good story. If you write an ending that satisfies your reader, then you’ve succeeded in writing a good story regardless of the ending.
Remember: writing is a skill that can be improved upon. The more you write, the better you’ll become at it. So whether you’re writing a short story for a class or an article for publication, hone your skills and keep writing!