The Two Basic Ways to Write a Story. Which Do You Use?

I’ve recently been working in schools where I get to witness littlies aged 5 – 11 learning how to write narratives. It’s been instructive to see how the minds of kids create a story, and how they are being taught to do that.

?This seems to be the basic pattern of what tots do to write narratives:

?--Imagine 1 or 2 main characters.

?--Have these characters face some big problem that befalls them and which they must overcome.

?--Focus on the question: What happened next?

?--Create the storyline with this structure, “And then…and then…and then.”

?--Resolve the problem.

?Of course, with little kids, especially boys, the story invariably involves dragons, sharks, bears, and monsters of every kind. Mayhem and gore ensue!

It’s fun to witness exuberant kids bursting forth with their vibrant imaginations to create story problems and scenes. Kids are natural storytellers, even if no one gets out alive.

The great danger in the way kids write stories is that they can become contrived chronologies of things happening to reactive characters. And thus, the longer their stories, the greater chance of them losing their drama.

While the above storytelling approach seems natural and proper for little kids, if this approach is carried into adulthood, it is a disaster. I’ve struggled through way too many scripts that are failed chronologies of: This happened, then this, then this and on and on. A chronicle. Finally crashing into the black hole of contrivance and boredom.

A Plot, a More Dramatic Writing Form

A more sophisticated way to tell a story is to make it like a boxing or tennis match.

You’ve all watched a tennis match. Back and forth combat between two motivated, skilled opponents lusting for victory. Finally, after a long personal struggle, the story is climaxed, one person wins. Conflict resolved.

Why is this plot form of writing better for adults?

Because it reflects how adults think and act. Adults generally are goal oriented and in life these goals often clash with the goals of other motivated humans. These conflicts escalate until they are (most often) resolved. Thus, a plot type story of two motivated humans clashing back and forth in an escalating series of events has a narrative structure that is realistic and believable. And is more logical, more tied together.

And because it’s more dramatic.

When audiences recognise and care about the clear motives, goals, conflicts, and stakes of clashing characters, they empathize much more with them. We are more ready to go on their journey and transformation. This clear motivation and conflict creates more suspense. More drama. ?

To read the Actionable Creative takeaway of this article click here.

To receive The Story Guy Newsletter via email, click here.