StoryLab: EmpoWord- Telling a Story

Telling a Story

As I read EmpoWord's Telling a Story I learned invaluable information that will hopefully add a new dimension to my writing. Having taken countless writing classes throughout my academic career, I feel that I am a strong writer. Since high school, I have undoubtedly grown in my abilities, however, I have yet to have an opportunity to explore storytelling. I thought this chapter would only offer tips on how to propel a story, however, it went beyond storytelling and offered advice on how to expand the narrative of any work. I honestly thought I would only skim through the material, but overall I am glad that I chose to read this chapter for I found it majorly fascinating. 



"We're all stories, in the end. " - Steven Moffat, Doctor Who 
  • I have never heard this but I truly appreciate it 
What makes an interesting story: 
  • Not only descriptions, but narration to create impactful and beautiful scenes 
Plot 
  • the actual events that take place within the bounds of your narrative 
  • Three Elements to Consider 
    • Scope 
      • boundaries of your plot
        • where and when does the story end 
        • helps form perceptions 
      • many people struggle with too broad of a scope 
        • find it hard to zero in on the events that drive a story and give needed info
    • Sequence and pacing 
      • Order of events
      • Amount of time you give to each event 
      • They both often impact the other 
  • Story shapes to follow
    • the classic pyramid shape 
    • starting in the middle of a situation to add action 
      • start in the middle, lead up to a big scene, go back and fill in spots 
        • usually follows pyramid shape from there on out 
Point of view 
  • The position from which your story is told will help shape your reader's experience
    •  the language your character uses 
  • Tone
    • the emotional register of the story's language 
    • what emotional state is the narrator in 
  • Mood
    • the emotional register a reader experiences 
      • what emotions do you want your reader to experience 
  • Sidenote: I want to become good at writing a steam of consciousness 
Building Characters 
  • Characterizations
    • the development of characters through actions, descriptions, and dialogue 
      • the audience is more sympathetic towards narrative if they imagine the character as real 
    • Directly 
      • a specific description of the character
        • types of clothes, looks, smell 
    • Indirectly 
      • through behaviors, speech and thoughts 
      • how does their speech reflect their attitude to the listener 
      • actions reflect traits
      • what's on their mind that they won't share with the world
Dialogue
  • Communication between two or more characters
    • avoid flat dialogue
      • where everyone is easily contributing, saying how they feel 








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