ADVICE FOR WRITERS

 

Mastering the art of writing a compelling story, whether for a novel, a short story, a stage play, or a screenplay, requires a writer to focus on the elements of the writer’s craft. The most important aspects of the art and craft of writing include: a solid premise, characters with thematic character arcs, dialogue, plot/structure, setting, tone, mood, and point of view.

Characters are the soul of any story. They must have clear goals and motivations, a unique voice and point of view, with flaws and strengths. Thematic character arcs, where a character changes over the course of the story, should align with the story’s major turning points. By establishing a starting point for each main character, a writer can choose the key moments of change and show a clear transformation by the end. Each character should have a distinct voice that remains the same throughout the story.

Dialogue serves to propel a plot forward, reveal something about a character, and through subtext, where the unsaid is as important as what is being said, create conflict or tension. It’s important to avoid “on the nose” dialogue to effectively create multiple layers of meaning. 

A well-structured story is essential to keep the audience or reader engaged, thus ensuring a compelling narrative arc. Establishing place, time and mood at the beginning of a narrative reveals what the story is about and whose story it is. The use of plot points is key to driving a story forward.  During the set-up, the inciting incident sets the story in motion. At the first plot point, the protagonist commits to the main conflict. The midpoint of the story reveals a major shift or revelation that raises the stakes higher. The second plot point is the final push towards the climax, the highest point of tension. This is followed by the resolution and the transformation of the protagonist(s).

A clear central theme woven into character arcs and plot developments should emerge through events and dialogue, reinforced using symbolism and motifs. At the beginning of a captivating story there is a hook that grabs the reader’s or audience’s attention. What the protagonist wants, both internally and externally, and what roadblocks stop the protagonist from achieving these wants, needs or goals create conflict and tension. As the stakes get higher, though showing, not telling, the hero’s journey arrives at a realization or destination, changed from the character who was introduced in the set-up of the story.

Every writer has a unique story that deserves to be told. As Janet Burroway states in her novel, Writing Fiction – A Guide to Narrative Craft, “ideas are not new, but the form in which ideas are expressed is constantly renewed, and new forms give life to what used to be called the eternal verities. An innovative writer tries to forge, and those who follow try to perfect, forms that so fuse with meaning that form itself expresses.”