How can you write engaging stories and narratives without making common mistakes?

1 Know your purpose and audience

Before you start writing, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your story or narrative, and who you are writing for. Your purpose and audience will affect your choice of genre, tone, style, and structure. For example, if you want to write a horror story for young adults, you need to consider what scares them, what interests them, and what language they use. You also need to avoid elements that are inappropriate, irrelevant, or offensive for your target audience.

2 Plan your plot and characters

A good story or narrative needs a well-developed plot and characters that drive the action and engage the reader. A plot is the sequence of events that make up your story, and it should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. A character is a person, animal, or object that participates in your story, and it should have a personality, a motivation, and a role. To plan your plot and characters, you can use various tools and methods, such as outlines, diagrams, sketches, or notes. You can also use existing models, such as the hero's journey, the three-act structure, or the Freytag's pyramid, to guide your plot development.

3 Show, don't tell

One of the most important principles of writing engaging stories and narratives is to show, don't tell. This means that you should use descriptive language, sensory details, dialogue, and actions to reveal your story and characters, rather than simply stating facts or opinions. Showing, rather than telling, allows you to create vivid images, emotions, and impressions in your reader's mind, and to make your story more realistic and immersive. For example, instead of telling that your character is angry, you can show it by describing their facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, or actions.

5 Vary your sentences and words

Another way to make your stories and narratives more engaging is to vary your sentences and words. Varying your sentences means that you use different lengths, structures, and types of sentences to create rhythm, pace, and emphasis in your writing. For example, you can use short sentences to create a sense of urgency, action, or surprise, and long sentences to create a sense of complexity, description, or reflection. Varying your words means that you use different words to express the same or similar ideas, to avoid repetition, monotony, or confusion. For example, you can use synonyms, antonyms, or figurative language to enrich your vocabulary and avoid using the same words over and over again.