9 tips to be a better writer
vetted by a Moth StorySLAM champion & five-time GrandSLAM champion.
I recently finished reading “Storyworthy” by Matthew Dicks and discovered some profound learnings, which could help writers craft better stories. So, without much ado, let’s dive right in:
- Homework for life: Look for moments in your day that are storyworthy. A conversation with your kid, an excuse your co-worker or house help made today for not showing up to work or simply a walk in the park that gave you perspective. Create a spreadsheet and scribble your one-liner story of the day. An exercise that takes less than two minutes of your day but offers an arsenal of knowledge to reflect and create better stories.
Why is it called ‘Homework for Life’? Because to actually see the results you need to allow these thoughts or stories to compound over a period of time. It also helps keep a track of your behaviour to identify patterns and effect change overtime.
2. Protect the time and space in which you write. Keep everyone away from it. Especially those you love. As a storyteller or a writer, you need to selfishly guard your time. So, find a room with a lock. Give everyone a cookie and tell them to go away for a little while.
3. Spill your guts: Do not think about grammar, punctuation or sentence structure as you write. Do not outline before you write. Just write.
Why, you ask? One simple reason — much of the writing is done in the dark. The next sentence is as much of a surprise to the writer as it to the reader. So, let go off the need to self monitor or judge — put the damn words on a page. Engage with writing in a real and authentic way.
4. You cannot allow the pen to stop moving. Continue writing even when your mind is empty. Bring some colours to your desk and use them to spark creative writing. Use numbers, countries or objects around you to get back into the flow. New ideas always come crashing in — so don’t you ever put the pen down. Engage in the process.
5. Raise the stakes
Why? Because you want to hold the attention of your reader or listener.
Five different strategies to increase the stakes of your story:
(a) The Elephant — every story must have an elephant. It’s the thing that everyone in the room can see. It’s the problem, need, peril or mystery that leads the story. If you don’t bring up the problem (within 30–60 seconds) early on, the audience will tune out because they have no reason to be drawn to the story.
Elephants change colour — the need, want or problem stated in the beginning can (rather should) change along the way. Offer your audience one expectation and pull it away to offer another. This method is more effective when your story is heavy, emotional, sorrowful or heart-rending.
(b) Backpacks — a backpack increases the stakes of the story by increasing the audience’s anticipation about the coming event. It helps your audience wonder what will happen next and allows them to experience the same emotion as the storyteller or the subject. It works best when whatever it is you plan to do doesn’t work out. By putting a backpack on them, you allow them to enter the story as you. Ocean’s Eleven or Money Heist do a great job at putting a backpack on their viewers — allows people to experience the same fury, rush and suspense when the plan fails. Struggle and strife makes stories great. Perfect plans executed perfectly do not make great stories.
(c) Breadcrumbs — storytellers use breadcrumbs when they hint at a future event but only reveal enough to keep the audience guessing. Reveal your thoughts and ideas as a part of your story. For example — ‘As I climb back into the car, I see my crumpled Mc Donalds uniform on the back seat and I suddenly have an idea.’ Most effective when truly the unexpected is coming!
(d) Hourglasses — slow things down when the moment of revelation arrives. Let your audience hang on to every word. Describe even a redundant things that don’t require a description. Use this only when you have held the attention of your audience already. Use words that create wonder — about what will happen. It’s the final delay before the sentence everyone is waiting for.
(e) Crystal ball — a false prediction made by the storyteller. Present other real possibilities that could happen to keep them on the hook. Allow your audience to be guided by the movement of your characters. We are constantly trying to predict the future, so this strategy is the most organic and easy to deploy. For example — ‘The boss called me into her office this morning and as I walked down the hall, I just knew I had done something wrong and was getting fired. This is it. It was the end of the road for me. It was the longest walk of my life.’ (and then story shifts…)
Raising stakes can help but not if you have a lousy story. As a writer, ask yourself — is what I am sharing better than pizza, sex or video games? If the answer is No, find yourself a different story. Stakes are the gears that make a story work.
6. Use Humour: Think of the last time you smiled when someone said something. Chances are you didn’t expect it. Humour works best when it’s a well-cultivated surprise. Use it judiciously.
7. Never establish potentially unrealistic expectations. Conversations or stories that start with “You’re not going to believe this…” or “Listen to this, it’s hilarious” take away the surprise element from a story. More often than you’d like to believe what’s funny to you, isn’t hilarious for each person reading or listening to your story.
8. Be self-deprecating: Nobody loves a show-off. Trust me, not even your closest friends. Downplay your achievements. Show the flawed side of your character to craft a better story. By maligning and marginalising the accomplishments your character, you allow your readers to experience the same joy that your character experiences when they achieve something.
9. Stories about failure are more engaging than stories of success. It is difficult to share stories of success. We listen to stories to be moved and inspired. Stories that showcase vulnerability, emotions or engage audiences are the only ones that are likely to be remembered. Underdogs make movies like Titanic and Karate Kid spectacular.
Remember — we tell stories as well as we remember them, which is inaccurate in many ways. Use these tips to experiment what works for you but always remember to centre your story around one thing instead of two or more.
To read Storyworthy online for free, click here.
To purchase a physical copy, click here.
Matthew Dicks is a Moth StorySLAM champion & five-time GrandSLAM champion.
