Essentials for Fiction Stories
Posted: September 12, 2014
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The desire to create a successful fictional story has always been within you, but seems just out of reach. In order for a story to hit the mark, it needs
to have some key ingredients. Create a story that sticks with the reader for a long time by including these essentials.
Nikki Woods, multi-media personality, social media and personal branding coach, and motivational speaker, gives us the ingredients for a great story.
7 Essential Story Ingredients
Someone recently asked people on Facebook to post the name of 10 books that have stayed with you in some way.
Without even knowing what’s on your list I can almost guarantee that the books you remember most told great stories. But what is it that actually makes a story memorable?
First, let’s define the word story. A story is a work of fiction. It can be short, and it can be long. Fiction, as you know, is prose writing about imagined events and characters. Humans are natural storytellers. But writing a good story takes skill and practice and some essential elements should be included too. Here are 7 essential story ingredients:
#1. An original idea
Often a good idea comes “out of the blue,” from a dream, a memory, abruptly. The idea must excite and inspire you. The idea is your theme.
#2. Believable characters
Story revolves around one central character whose problem will become of interest. Use a single viewpoint. Stay in the mind of your character from beginning to end. Whose problem is it? You must “care” about your character. If you don’t care, neither will your reader. First person, third, or omniscient? Depends on your own individual approach, theme or situation. Dialogue is essential. People reveal themselves by the things they say. Choose action and dialogue whenever possible. Descriptions are concise, yet can be rich and evocative.
Read the entire article,
7 Essential Story Ingredients, at
Nikki Woods Media.