How to Tell a Story
Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of entertainment. Everyone likes a great story, but it is often difficult to find one that is good to tell. The best way to learn how to tell a story is to read books on the subject, such as Peter Ruby and Gary Provost’s “How to Tell a Story” or any other book published by Writers Digest Books. Probably the two best books on the subject are John Truby’s Anatomy of Story and Ray Bradbury’s Jane and the Art of Writing.
Most people, unfortunately, never take the time to learn the basic techniques of storytelling and when they try to tell a story, they lose their audience. Others refuse to study storytelling techniques because they fear that they will lose their creativity by following the structure of the formula story.
However, like building a house, there are certain things you need to know to tell a story. How to read a blueprint, how to swing a hammer, and how to set the roof are as essential to a carpenter as how to set up a story, how to outline a basic plot, and how to write a scene.
So here’s a quick primer on how to tell a story. Hopefully, those who are reading this will be able to gain some insights on this subject for the delight of their future listeners.
The story consists of three parts:
1. Start
2. Middle.
3. The end.
Traditionally, this is why stories are divided into three parts. Dividing your story into three verbs will help you understand the structure of the main story. However, this strategy will only work for simple stories. Doing something like a novel or a screenplay requires more complex structures.
There are six parts to a story out of these three parts:
Law I
1. Introduction.
2. Rising action.
Law II
3. Complications.
4. Crisis.
Law III
5. Climax.
6. Resolution.
The beginning (Law I) has three goals:
The first goal is to roll the ball by introducing them to the main characters, and setting.
The second goal is to engage your audience with something that is exciting and engaging.
The third goal at the beginning of a story is to introduce the villain and the goal of the main story.
All three goals should be accomplished very quickly, often at first sight.
Choosing a setting depends on the type of story being told and the aspirations of the storyteller. In Hungary or Transylvania, for example, there could be a Gothic adventure and set in the 15th or 16th century. Arthurian stories happened earlier in England. The setting will have a big impact on the way the story is told.
Characters will often take up a large part of the opening of a story and this can make things slow enough. Caution should be exercised to avoid long character identities, as this can kill it before a story begins. One of the hallmarks of an amateur storyteller is the use of characters that make up a large part of the early story.
Characters are defined by what they do, not by who they appear to be. A person’s actions speak louder than anything else. Many people begin to describe a character by their appearance, but in reality these physical features are the most important thing for a person.
Some of the characters have to make a story.
Weakness/need
Good characters will have an internal need, such as the need to fall in love, and this internal goal will affect all the actions of the character. The character also needs to have flaws in the main character, such as distrust of the opposite sex.
The character may have many flaws, but one will outdo the others, and this will impede the character’s internal needs, preventing the character from getting what he wants. Character defects can be quick temper, desire to get rich and strong, cowardice, etc.
There are two types of vulnerabilities:
Emotional and moral.
Mental weakness is something that harms character.
Moral weakness is an issue that harms character and other people as well.
It is said that a story is not what it is, but who it happens to. How a story is changed by the events of a character plot or told in another way; A story of how a character transcends his failures. Just ask our friends at https://www.minneapoliscommercialpainting.com.
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