Writing Tip: Today You Are a Storyteller
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- 2/1/2012 |
- 10:00 am
Imagine that you’re no longer living in the 21st century, but instead struggling to survive in the past. I mean WAY in the past. You’re part of a group of twelve early humans, 15,000 years ago. There are eight adults and four children. You have no permanent home, because you move with the herds of animals upon which you survive. Your days are hard, and your nights are frightening; you’re not only a hunter, but sometimes the hunted. One person must be awake at all times to warn the others of dangerous predators nearby.
Every day seems just like every other, and yet you still have a history of your tribe. Perhaps there used to be fifty people in your little group, but something happened. There’s no written language, however, so how will your children know about this history in the years to come?
The answer is storytelling. Before there were writers and before there were novels to read, early people relied upon storytellers. As the day ended and the tribe gathered around the feeble campfire for heat and protection, one person might begin to tell a tale about an event that happened many years ago. The children sitting around the fire listened intently, and they learned how to pass on these same stories - and other new stories - to their children and to the other adult members of the tribe.
For thousands of years we’ve been storytellers. Today, instead of gathering around a fire and listening to a story while keeping an eye out for hungry sabertooth tigers, we pick up a book. Our storytellers are the writers that we enjoy.
One of the mistakes that many writers make is forgetting their primary purpose. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of creating interesting characters, or developing a fascinating setting. It’s even more likely that beginning writers will focus almost exclusively on crafting “the perfect sentence.” They want so badly to sound like a writer that they lose track of the main goal: Tell a good story!
During my writing workshops I find that many people neglect their actual story. They have a terrific vocabulary, and they put together beautiful prose, and I really like their characters...but the story just sits there.
When I created the imaginary world of Galahad, my original goal was to compose a story that would entertain audiences, either young or adult. I wanted to write an ongoing series that consistently moved forward - even, ironically, through the use of flashbacks. It was crucial that my readers find the characters interesting, of course, but they also had to get hooked on the story itself. What happens to those 251 teens on the ship? Where do they end up? Who ends up in a relationship with whom? What happens next?
Regardless of whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, it always comes down to one important test: Do your readers reach the end of one chapter and then stay up later to read the next chapter? Have you hooked them with a story that compels them to keep reading?
And remember, this applies to anything you write, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. Yes, even non-fiction is about telling a story, keeping the momentum moving forward.
Your assignment today is to imagine you’re sitting around that campfire 15,000 years ago. There are no fancy gadgets to embellish your work, and there are no distractions (other than the tigers). Your job is to tell a story that not only interests people, but is one that will be passed down from generation to generation.
Today you are a storyteller.
