How to be a better storyteller
Writers are storytellers. No matter the medium or genre, writers work hard to craft delectable stories for public consumption. And we all know that some stories are better than others. So what differentiates a fascinating, compelling, riotous story from one that is just okay?
Strong start.
Emotional appeal.
Logical appeal.
Sensory details.
Action.
Scenes.
Anecdotes.
Moments of Reflection.
Something has to happen.
Make us care.
Stories work in academic writing, business writing, and creative writing, so over the next several weeks, I will be tackling each of the above ideas in more depth. But for now, look at the list and then look at a story you are writing…how strong is your opening line? Does it really catch your attention in such a manner that you can’t look away? When others read your opening paragraph, does it take their breath away or make them sigh or pause or gasp? If not, then back to the drawing board with you.
Create an opening line that snags onto your reader’s eyeballs, brain, and heart with double-barbed hooks and won’t let go. Stab your reader in the gut or make him chuckle heartily or make her so curious that she has no choice but to keep reading. No explanations, no meandering descriptions, no dull and flat verbosity to start your story. Hammer a statement. Get the reader’s attention. (Because if you are striving to publish, that reader will first be an editor and if you don’t catch HER attention, well, you’ve heard of the slush pile.)
Now let’s get 2015 off to a strong start by writing some amazing opening lines. Get to work.
Amanda Morris, Ph.D. 