The Wonder of Story
By Serena Dawson
What makes a book captivating? What makes someone stay up late, ignore chores, and do silly stuff because they just can't put a book down? I know of people reading in the shower, running into the back of a parked car riding a bicycle while reading, and even reading while driving a car!
Ok, that last person was me. And it was on a long driveway. And I was only snatching glances while going really slow because I had to know what happened! Don't look at me like that. It was the Mark of the Lion series, ok? If you know, you know.
Anyhoo. So, what is it that makes a book capable of inciting such insanity? Well, obviously those stories are just "well written" you say.
Yes indeed.
Good writing is the aim of every writer. But what does that even mean?
Style.
Voice.
The glory of fine prose.
Surely that's what sets good books apart from the mediocre?
You would think that, from reading reviews on many popular books, but then what of the "badly written" books that sell well?
Can so many readers be wrong?
I propose that it's not good writing, in the stylistic sense, that keeps people reading.
That's just icing on the cake.
The true magic is story. It's why we will follow characters through harrowing adventures, into the early hours of the morning, just to read the final scene and have that satisfaction and sense of completion.
Ok, then. But what makes a good story, good? Isn't it just a bunch of stuff happening to a person or people we have decided are the "protagonist" or main characters? Isn't that what plot is, anyway?
The plot is certainly what happens, the order of events. But why does that matter to us? Why do we care what happens, and to whom? For that matter, what makes us care about some characters and not about others?
Story, unlike plot, is held together by a chain of inner and outer struggles. Plot could be anything that happens. Story happens *because.* Because the character has an outer thing that must be attempted, and an inner thing that must be overcome. And those two things are best to be connected.
We need characters to struggle, we need them to grow, we need them to fail; to fail again and again until they succeed.
Easy success does not a compelling story make.
A gripping story follows a character who has a powerful need and a crippling weakness. Random conflict is not compelling. A character trying to achieve a worthy aim, while battling something within, is what holds the best stories together.
Perhaps the character is called Jane. Jane needs to save her small town. The town is dying, the shops are closing, because there's no work now The Factory has closed. Even Jane's shop, which has been in her family for generations, can't stay open much longer. Somehow, she has to save the town.
But Jane hates people. She doesn't care about the town, she doesn't care about her neighbours. She's selfish, antisocial and bitter. She can't work with people because she's never learnt to compromise, communicate through conflict, or put other people's needs first. Now she must learn some people skills and become a better person for the greater good. She must learn to care.
One day Jane has The Idea. She can save the town, by making a unique business with her neighbours that will bring prosperity and people back. But first she must convince them, and prove she can change. See how it's all connected? We care about the big plot things, because they are forcing Jane to confront her inner thing, and vice versa.
To make the success at the end of a story satisfying, we need to see our characters try and fail, preferably several times, before they triumph at the end. We need to experience the struggle, the growth, and the overcoming. It is a large part of why we need story.
We need to experience that hardships can be endured and battles can be won, that courage can be found, and sacrifices can be worth it in the end. Stories help us to become better people. It has been scientifically proven that readers are more empathetic, among other positive traits. Stories build our faith that struggles, even seemingly insurmountable ones, can be overcome.
I really could go on and on, but I'm going to recommend some further reading instead. You may be able to get some of these from your local library, and remember you can request they purchase books they don't have!
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
"Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel"
Story Trump's Structure
By Stephen James
Story Trumps Structure: How to Write Unforgettable Fiction by Breaking the Rules
Hack your Readers Brain by Jeff Gerke
Hack Your Reader's Brain: Bring the Power of Brain Chemistry to Bear on Your Fiction
Picture of girl flying with bird graciously provided by Pixabay. The writing is copyright of Serena Dawson. The horse in the thunderstorm belongs to Serena Dawson and you can purchase her art on her website.