%20a%20Story.jpg)
Storytelling is more than just well-written prose.
No matter what anyone tells you, there is no "right way to write." It’s a process that varies from writer to writer and even book to book. What works for one writer doesn't always work for another, and might even squash their ability to write at all.
Which really stinks if you’re just starting out and looking for the right path to take, or you’ve been struggling to develop your storytelling style and nothing seems to fit you.
It's a pain for all of us, really, because even if we do have a process that works for us, there’s always that one story idea that doesn’t fit with how we usually write.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, take heart that you are not alone.
The most basic answer to “what’s the best way to tell a story” is:
Incredibly unhelpful, I know, even though it’s true. But keeping that concept in mind as you write actually does help. "What do I want my readers to wonder about?" "What do I want to make then need to know so badly they stay up all night to find out?"
How a writer chooses to do that is really up to them, and that’s the tricky part—because writing a novel and telling a story are really two different things.
We’ve all been captivated by a story, whether it was a novel, a movie, a TV show, a game, or even the guy from accounting talking about his weekend escapades. A great story piques curiosity and holds it until that curiosity is satisfied.
Let’s look at part one first—telling the story.
Toss out everything you know about outlines and process and all the mechanics that go into writing. Those are important, but worrying if you should or shouldn’t outline can distract you from finding the heart and soul of your story.
Storytelling is visceral, and depends on the person telling it more than the subject matter at hand. This is why the same idea can result in a myriad of stories, some good, some horribly bad. It's not what you write about, it's how you convey it to readers.
If any of this sounds familiar to you, take heart that you are not alone.
The most basic answer to “what’s the best way to tell a story” is:
Pose a compelling story question to the reader, then hold their interest until you answer that question.
Incredibly unhelpful, I know, even though it’s true. But keeping that concept in mind as you write actually does help. "What do I want my readers to wonder about?" "What do I want to make then need to know so badly they stay up all night to find out?"
How a writer chooses to do that is really up to them, and that’s the tricky part—because writing a novel and telling a story are really two different things.
We’ve all been captivated by a story, whether it was a novel, a movie, a TV show, a game, or even the guy from accounting talking about his weekend escapades. A great story piques curiosity and holds it until that curiosity is satisfied.
Let’s look at part one first—telling the story.
The Best Way to Tell a Story
Toss out everything you know about outlines and process and all the mechanics that go into writing. Those are important, but worrying if you should or shouldn’t outline can distract you from finding the heart and soul of your story.
Storytelling is visceral, and depends on the person telling it more than the subject matter at hand. This is why the same idea can result in a myriad of stories, some good, some horribly bad. It's not what you write about, it's how you convey it to readers.
And it all starts with that question.
The story question is the heart of your story. This is why you’re telling this story. It’s not “to explore this cool world I made up” it’s “to see what would happen if I put this character in this situation in this cool world I made up.” Stories are about discovery, not explanation.
If you can’t say what your story question is, odds are your story isn’t ready to write yet. Unformed story questions typically lead to premise novels and novels that stall because they really don’t know what they want to be.
(Here’s more with Are You Asking--and Answering--the Right Story Questions?)
Your approach to answering this question dictates the style of the story, and thus, how you'd write it. Maybe you want a light, humorous romp of misunderstandings, or a dark, poignant look at the human condition. Maybe you want to show an adventure that’s light on theme, or an exploration into the ethical gray area where there are no clear answers.
For example, the accounting guy’s tale about “How I ended up in jail” can either be a hysterical adventure or a cautionary tale depending on how he tells it.
1. What story question do you want to answer?
The story question is the heart of your story. This is why you’re telling this story. It’s not “to explore this cool world I made up” it’s “to see what would happen if I put this character in this situation in this cool world I made up.” Stories are about discovery, not explanation.
If you can’t say what your story question is, odds are your story isn’t ready to write yet. Unformed story questions typically lead to premise novels and novels that stall because they really don’t know what they want to be.
(Here’s more with Are You Asking--and Answering--the Right Story Questions?)
2. How do you want to answer that question?
Your approach to answering this question dictates the style of the story, and thus, how you'd write it. Maybe you want a light, humorous romp of misunderstandings, or a dark, poignant look at the human condition. Maybe you want to show an adventure that’s light on theme, or an exploration into the ethical gray area where there are no clear answers.
For example, the accounting guy’s tale about “How I ended up in jail” can either be a hysterical adventure or a cautionary tale depending on how he tells it.
(Here's more with Leave a Message at the Tone: Setting the Right Tone for Your Novel)
These are your characters, and the wrong people can derail a good story. The sheer number of writers who have gotten halfway through (or even finished) a novel and realized they had the wrong protagonist shows how important this is to figure out ahead of time. In rare cases, we do need to write a rough draft to discover that, but we usually know going in who the story is about.
Whose story is it? Who will give you the most interesting options to answer your story question? Characters who "know stuff" are different from those who want to "figure out stuff," so be wary about picking people who already have the answers to your story question.
(Here’s more with Whose Story is It?)
It doesn’t matter if it’s a light-hearted comedy or a soul-tearing epic, answering the story question should be hard for the protagonist(s). If it were easy, there’d be no point in answering it (or telling it). Stories aren’t about explaining what happened, they’re showing the journey of how and why it happened.
3. Who are the best people to show what you want to show about that question?
These are your characters, and the wrong people can derail a good story. The sheer number of writers who have gotten halfway through (or even finished) a novel and realized they had the wrong protagonist shows how important this is to figure out ahead of time. In rare cases, we do need to write a rough draft to discover that, but we usually know going in who the story is about.
Whose story is it? Who will give you the most interesting options to answer your story question? Characters who "know stuff" are different from those who want to "figure out stuff," so be wary about picking people who already have the answers to your story question.
(Here’s more with Whose Story is It?)
4. How can you make it physically and emotionally hard to answer that question?
It doesn’t matter if it’s a light-hearted comedy or a soul-tearing epic, answering the story question should be hard for the protagonist(s). If it were easy, there’d be no point in answering it (or telling it). Stories aren’t about explaining what happened, they’re showing the journey of how and why it happened.
This is where your conflict comes in. A story heavy on plot might have a lot of external conflict, but a deep character journey might focus more on the internal conflicts. Things might be emotionally challenging or intellectually challenging. How you mix and match those conflicts is totally up to you and what works best for your story.
(Here's more with Where Does Your Novel's Conflict Come From?)
You’re telling this story to entertain someone. Maybe it’s you, maybe it’s a specific person (your nephew, who complains he can never find any good boy books), maybe it’s a general group of people (romance readers who love men-in-uniform stories). This story is for them, so think about what they want and how to best give it to them.
5. Who are writing this story for?
You’re telling this story to entertain someone. Maybe it’s you, maybe it’s a specific person (your nephew, who complains he can never find any good boy books), maybe it’s a general group of people (romance readers who love men-in-uniform stories). This story is for them, so think about what they want and how to best give it to them.
(Here's more with Trust Me, I’m a Reader: Writing for Your Audience)
Now, let’s move on to part two:
Any damn way you want.
Seriously. I know it sounds flippant, but you can do whatever works for you. Some people like to outline, others like to wing it, some like to write out of order and stitch it together afterward. Those are all perfectly legitimate ways to write your novel.
Some people like to know every single detail before they write the first word, others like to knock out a first draft and see how it unfolds before nailing down the plot and details. Some people create characters first and pants the plot, others lay out the plot and pants the characters (this last one is me).
Structurally, some use a three act structure, others a four act format, some like beat sheets or the Hero’s Journey, others don’t use any traditional structure at all and just write what feels right to them.
All good. All viable. All perfectly acceptable ways to write a story.
Part of figuring out the best way for you to write is to know that you don’t have to be pigeonholed into anything. You’d be surprised how often I hear “you mean I don’t have to do it X way?” from a new writer struggling to write with a process that goes totally against their own natural style. When they realize they can toss that process out, their writing becomes not only easier, but better.
This can be tough to do, so don’t lose hope if you haven’t found your way yet. Try different options, especially those you think would never work for you. Sometimes, the thing you scoffed at is exactly what works in the end.
If you have trouble finishing a story, don’t do what normally stops your writing. For example, if you get stuck editing early chapters and never move forward, plow ahead and don’t edit. If you always hit a wall at chapter three because you think you got started wrong, keep writing and fix it later. If you keep stalling because you need to do research, take a few extra days and get it all worked out ahead of time. Or, do what I do: make a note to come back to it later. I add [research x] in those cases so I don't lose my writing momentum.
Try new things, shake up what isn’t working for you and embrace what is.
(Here’s more with Get Up and Get Out: Finding Your Writing Process)
I’m a huge advocate for structure, and a big fan of the Three Act Structure with a midpoint reversal. But this isn’t the only structure out there, so if it’s not working for you, try another one. If you find structure restrictive, try a basic three-point outline, or write the way the story unfolds and ignore the traditional plot turning points.
The only thing you need to do is have a beginning that poses your story question, a middle that explores that question, and an ending that answers that question (even if that answer is ambiguous). Everything else is your call.
(Here’s more with 6 Ways to Structure (and Plot) Your Novel)
It took me a long time to figure out that unless I knew what my ending was, I spent a lot of time spinning my wheels in act three. My plot moved, I had a lot going on and no trouble writing, but by the time I got to the end I wasn’t sure how to wrap it all up. I didn’t know how to answer my story question, I just explored it.
Every writer is different in this regard, so examine where you get stuck in your writing and think about why. Odds are you’re running into the same issue every book, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the snag. Once you find that issue, make fixing it part of your planning process so you don’t trip over it anymore. For example, for me, it’s all about nailing down my ending ahead of time so I know what I’m writing toward.
There will be certain things you’ll need to know and things you can make up on the fly. The more prepared you are going in with what you need, the easier your process will be for you.
I’ve said this plenty of times, but I’ll say it again. Stories are just interesting people, solving interesting problems, in interesting ways. As long as your story hits those three elements, you’re good.
Now, let’s move on to part two:
The Best Way to Write a Story
Any damn way you want.
Seriously. I know it sounds flippant, but you can do whatever works for you. Some people like to outline, others like to wing it, some like to write out of order and stitch it together afterward. Those are all perfectly legitimate ways to write your novel.
Some people like to know every single detail before they write the first word, others like to knock out a first draft and see how it unfolds before nailing down the plot and details. Some people create characters first and pants the plot, others lay out the plot and pants the characters (this last one is me).
Structurally, some use a three act structure, others a four act format, some like beat sheets or the Hero’s Journey, others don’t use any traditional structure at all and just write what feels right to them.
All good. All viable. All perfectly acceptable ways to write a story.
Part of figuring out the best way for you to write is to know that you don’t have to be pigeonholed into anything. You’d be surprised how often I hear “you mean I don’t have to do it X way?” from a new writer struggling to write with a process that goes totally against their own natural style. When they realize they can toss that process out, their writing becomes not only easier, but better.
1. Find the process that works for you.
This can be tough to do, so don’t lose hope if you haven’t found your way yet. Try different options, especially those you think would never work for you. Sometimes, the thing you scoffed at is exactly what works in the end.
If you have trouble finishing a story, don’t do what normally stops your writing. For example, if you get stuck editing early chapters and never move forward, plow ahead and don’t edit. If you always hit a wall at chapter three because you think you got started wrong, keep writing and fix it later. If you keep stalling because you need to do research, take a few extra days and get it all worked out ahead of time. Or, do what I do: make a note to come back to it later. I add [research x] in those cases so I don't lose my writing momentum.
Try new things, shake up what isn’t working for you and embrace what is.
(Here’s more with Get Up and Get Out: Finding Your Writing Process)
2. Find the structure that works for you.
I’m a huge advocate for structure, and a big fan of the Three Act Structure with a midpoint reversal. But this isn’t the only structure out there, so if it’s not working for you, try another one. If you find structure restrictive, try a basic three-point outline, or write the way the story unfolds and ignore the traditional plot turning points.
The only thing you need to do is have a beginning that poses your story question, a middle that explores that question, and an ending that answers that question (even if that answer is ambiguous). Everything else is your call.
(Here’s more with 6 Ways to Structure (and Plot) Your Novel)
3. Figure out what you need to know about a story in order to write it.
It took me a long time to figure out that unless I knew what my ending was, I spent a lot of time spinning my wheels in act three. My plot moved, I had a lot going on and no trouble writing, but by the time I got to the end I wasn’t sure how to wrap it all up. I didn’t know how to answer my story question, I just explored it.
Every writer is different in this regard, so examine where you get stuck in your writing and think about why. Odds are you’re running into the same issue every book, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the snag. Once you find that issue, make fixing it part of your planning process so you don’t trip over it anymore. For example, for me, it’s all about nailing down my ending ahead of time so I know what I’m writing toward.
There will be certain things you’ll need to know and things you can make up on the fly. The more prepared you are going in with what you need, the easier your process will be for you.
(Here's more with 4 Ways to Write a Better Novel)
Figuring out you need to know the ending and your protagonist’s inner conflict before you can start a novel is great, but if you don’t actually sit down and figure that out before you start a book, you’re not doing yourself any favors.
4. Make sure you know those things before you start writing.
Figuring out you need to know the ending and your protagonist’s inner conflict before you can start a novel is great, but if you don’t actually sit down and figure that out before you start a book, you’re not doing yourself any favors.
Do the work. Set yourself up for success, not failure. It’ll save you time and effort in the long run and you’ll be a much happier writer when you’re no longer tripping over the same process problems in every book.
(Here's more with Challenging Yourself vs. Setting Yourself Up to Fail)
Sometimes we stumble because we think we ought to be writing our novels a certain way, or they have to be perfect right from the start (not true), or they all need to follow a certain formula.
They don’t, and there are almost as many options to tell and write a story as there are stories themselves. Follow your instincts, do what feels right for you, and don’t be afraid to change or try new things.
EXERCISE FOR YOU: Take some time and think about your process, and how you approach writing your novel. What works for you? What doesn't? What do you struggle with? Jot down your answers, then look for ways to improve or adjust your process. Pick one thing on the list and try it. You don't want to do too many at once, otherwise you won't know which one worked.
How do you tell and write your stories?
How do you tell and write your stories?
*Originally published May 2016. Last updated January 2025.
For more help on plotting or writing a novel check out my Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure.
Go step-by-step through plotting and writing a novel. Learn how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration, develop the right characters, setting, plots and subplots, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series.
With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Learn how to:
Available in paperback and ebook formats.
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.
She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.
When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Indie Bound
With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Learn how to:
- Create compelling characters readers will love
- Choose the right point of view for your story
- Determine the conflicts that will drive your plot (and hook readers!)
- Find the best writing process for your writing style
- Create a solid plot from the spark of your idea
- Craft your one-sentence pitch
- Create your summary hook blurb
- Develop a solid working synopsis And so much more!
Available in paperback and ebook formats.
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.
When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.
I love this post, Janice. Really a simple question and yet it is everything to the story. And no matter how many different methods for writing we study, there's really only one--the one that works for you (which may very well be different from book to book).
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I have a basic template process, but I do have to change parts depending on the book. So funny how that works.
DeleteExcellent.
ReplyDeleteThank-you, Janice for the great advice and resources! I'll be sharing this one out.
Great tips, thanks for sharing! I'm sure a lot of aspiring authors can benefit from these.
ReplyDeleteChatEbooks recently posted https://www.chatebooks.com/blog-Writing-a-Book-How-to-Start-a-Novel-to-Keep-Readers-Interested
Most welcome!
DeleteHi, I am writing a book called Tale of the Inner -earth merfolk with three narratives, I am also going to do pictures for the book. It also has the Kraken in the story. I plan on self-publishing it.
ReplyDelete