CRANK UP THE JUICE
Story ideas are based on what you know even if you don’t have much to say at first. Research subjects that you are familiar with but not expert in. If you’ve selected your starting subject, it will be easier to start outlining a storyline and branch out to more details as you progress.
Aside from facts and experiences — yours or others, don’t be afraid to dig into what you know emotionally. Grief, love, joy, how to overcome obstacles, fear, these are all things we ‘know’. They are the universal human experiences at the heart of great stories.
Spend time observing people imagining what the world looks like from their point-of-view. Acquire inspirations in your everyday life. Practice some empathy and accumulate experiences that make the facts you read about others have context and meaning. For example, if you want to write a story about a handicapped person, observe those who suffer. See how they behave. Imagine the world through their eyes. Form ideas in your mind then write something that might fascinate an audience.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
It’s a big world out there full of surprises. It profits to bring along a small notepad with you too. If you’re catching the bus, at work, or taking a break in some restaurant or café, and something captures your interest, write it down so you won’t forget. Even if it doesn’t seem to make sense at the time or fit you’re your mind frame for the story, you can always refer to your notes for ideas you can use later.
Before writing your first draft, decide which audience your story is being written for. Are they young, older adults or the elderly? Are you aiming to persuade donors and sponsors to support your cause? Are you trying to convince people from all walks of life, age or gender to volunteer their time for a special project or help organise and promote a special event?
Targeting your audience helps frame your storyline better. Note down all reasons why you are telling the story and make sure what you express these simply and clearly. This is called a theme, which could be any topic under the sun — what it is to be handicapped, what it feels to lose a dear one, overcoming the power of heights and so on.
START IT, END IT
A good story becomes interesting and resonates with your audience when it comes in parts. It is at the start where you introduce a problem, question or challenge. The middle part is where you continue to add a few more of these things and where the character begins to rise up to the challenge. Somewhere towards the end of the mid-point, add a little more drama or surprise. Introduce an inflection point, perhaps involving an enigma or hurdle which makes it appear to the audience that the character in your story may not be able to deal with or overcome it.
Then, of course, comes the end. This is the part where the conflict is resolved. It’s closure should result in either success or failure, but never be ambiguous.
SKILL NEEDS PRACTICE
Naturally, no one new to writing stories that ‘sell’ is expected to become a literary virtuoso like Ernest Hemingway overnight. But, in time and with enough practice, you’ll soon get the hang of it. It also pays to see how others weave their tales, some of which I’m sure you can draw some inspiration from.
Here is one particular example. It’s a story about a deaf and mute girl from Thailand who learns to play the violin against all odds. That it is a commercial for a hair product and expressed in a foreign language doesn’t matter much. That’s because the story is told in a universal language we humans all understand.
Learn more about what the author of this blog and Convergent Digital Solutions Ltd. do for nonprofits.
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