Most people will tell you that, if you want to write, you should read. A lot. That there is no better training for being a good writer (other than the actual writing part).
Now, reading a lot has never been a problem for me. Quite the contrary–my problem has always been putting the books down long enough to do anything else. This love of reading, of course, is one of the reasons I run the weekly meme about books over at Booking Through Thursday, and the other day, one of my readers left me a question that started me thinking: “What’s your take on the power of fiction–no matter the medium?”
If you’re anything like me, one of your favorite reasons to read is for the story. Not for the character development and interaction. Not because of the descriptive, emotive powers of the writer. Not because of deep, literary meaning hidden beneath layers of metaphor. No … it’s because you want to know what happens next.
Television, movies, even good documentaries tell stories and make you want to travel along with the writer (or narrator) as they unfold. March of the Penguins wasn’t a huge hit just because penguins are cute. No, we all wanted to know what happened when the mothers came back.
People like stories. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, you can structure all sorts of writing as a story to capture your readers right away. For example:
- You can frame an article on the production of wool by following one shepherd’s harrowing night looking for a sheep lost in a storm.
- You can talk about the benefits of perseverance and never giving up by relating a story of a hard-luck, underdog football team that managed to scrape out a huge win over the league favorites.
- You can write a how-to instruction manual on organizing your computer files by comparing the average computer-worker’s desk to the one used by a monkish scribe scratching on parchment with a quill pen back in the fourteenth century.
Humans are geared to love stories–or, why would we waste so much time reading novels when we could be raising our families or earning money? We love hearing about the adventures, the trials, the joys, the happy endings. And, most of all, we learn from them, without even realizing it. You don’t need a moral to hit you over the head to pick up the point that doing the right thing is a good idea–you can learn it by example by listening to Cinderella, or any of the many, many fairy tales most of us grew up on. Even though she strayed from the path and got eaten by a wolf, you want to know if Little Red Riding Hood lived to learn her lesson.
This is a powerful idea. Think about how much easier it is to grab someone’s attention by telling them a story. Start off, “When I was growing up, I had a friend who thought he knew everything. Well, one day….” and they’re hooked. You can use that anecdote as a springboard for almost anything–an article, a sales pitch, a speech–because your readers are going to want to know what happened with that friend.
It’s all about what happens next.
I always feel like I have a grasp on the aspects of storytelling (i.e. character, emotion, dialog) but there’s a special talent in weaving it all together, and I’m not sure I have a firm grasp on that yet. But I’m working on it 😉
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Improve Your Writing: Get Feedback
Deb,
“It’s all about what happens next.” What a great line and so true.
Lillie Ammann’s last blog post..Eight Random Facts
Seems like it should be a blog post of its own, doesn’t it? (grin)
I can’t really say that I have a grasp on all those elements, either (and if I don’t, is that something I’d really know, anyway?). You can only do your best, though, right?
I hope novels never go out of style. I have a feeling they won’t, I mean really, can you get intimate with a computer ebook the way you can with a flesh and blood book held in your hand?
I love good stories. I especially love the stories that make me cry. Just break down and sob. I’m a real sucker for those.
I heard if you experience strong emotion when you write that you’re getting to the heart of the powerful material you need to get down.
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post..Writing the Wild Within: Part 4 – Standing Out From the Crowd
Ellen,
I don’t quite understand what loving novels and not liking e-books have to do with each other. I love reading great novels on my e-book reader.
With vision too poor to read the print in many print books, I’m thrilled to have e-books that I can read by adjusting the font. My e-book reader is actually more comfortable to hold than a print book; the book always opens to the right place; I can search if I want to refresh my memory on an earlier event or character; it’s backlit so I can read in the dark; I can carry a dozen books in a device smaller than a hardcover book … I could go on and on about e-books – and often do on my own blog. 🙂
But one of the best things for me is story. I’ve found that e-books from small independent presses publish novels that I often find more creative, more engrossing, and more emotion-touching than those turned out by the six big publishers.
Lillie Ammann’s last blog post..What I Learned from Animals
I think Ellen mostly meant a paper book, rather than specifically a novel. (Though, I read fiction and non-fiction and while I enjoy the non-fiction, it’s the fiction that makes my heart beat faster.
Personally, I much prefer the old-school paper book that I can curl up on the couch with. I haven’t tried any of the newer e-book readers, but still can’t imagine that they’d be as cozy to read from. Convenient? Sure, and definitely better than nothing at all, but it can’t compare to holding a book, turning the pages, flipping forward and backward to skim … Though, it’s got to be a WHOLE lot lighter on vacations than the libraries I lug around in my suitcase!
Deb,
To each is own. I thought at first I wouldn’t like e-books, but now I much, much prefer them to paper books. I curl up with my reader much more comfortably than I can curl up with a physical book. Of course, my vision problems and arthritis that make it hard to hold a book have something to do with that, but I think most people who bad-mouth e-books have never tried them. They might have sing a different tune if they ever experienced what they think they won’t like. 🙂 Kind of like me and oysters – I KNOW I don’t like them though I’ve never tasted them … because I don’t like them. 🙂
Lillie Ammann’s last blog post..What I Learned from Animals
I know they’ve improve in terms of visuals, too–the early ones were harder on the eyes than a computer screen! I’m not saying I would hate them, just that I LIKE books and find them very comforting to have around. Curling up with a little computer in my bed at night just doesn’t have the same appeal as a book. (Oh, and I almost always prop my book against my legs or the couch cushions or whatever so as not to actually HOLD them while I read. And, believe me, I read a LOT. See? http://chappysmom.com/category/monthly-reading-list/ )
I think any piece of writing, even copywriting, can benefit from being worked into a story. You can see this in commercials on TV. Notice the ones that simply promote the products are boring but the ones with characters and a storyline are far more entertaining and memorable. How to squeeze a plot into tiny segments? That is the challenge!
Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Improve Your Writing: Get Feedback
I am thoroughly jealous of your Trixie Belden collection. I’ve got a few and am lazily trying to collect them. You might also like the Judy Bolton books by Margaret Sutton, though they are difficult to find. (I found a bunch on Ebay. Not great condition, but readable.)
maria’s last blog post..Blahs.
You’re so right, framing things in stories works very well. When talking to my daughter, when she was younger, I could give her a lesson by telling her of a similar experience in my life, and she didn’t feel like I was scolding her. Now that she’s a tween, however, if I try to relate my life that way, she says, “I’m NOT YOU”, and that’s the end of it. Sigh.
J’s last blog post..Save the Trees!
I guess Cinderella doesn’t really work any more, either, huh? I guess the trick for that age is to relate it to OTHER people’s lives, not your own. Preferably current people (as opposed to “I knew a girl who…”)–and if they appear in the tabloids, so much the better. (“Well, you know, Britney…”)
You are so right about stories catching our attention. While I always think I would like to write, I prefer reading. Finding time for either is difficult. I guess I’ll never be a writer, because when I do find a free moment, I read instead.
Are the books in the photo yours? Trixie Belden was my obsession as a teen, and I haven’t thought about her or Honey and the gang in years. Thanks for reminding me of some long lost friends. I may have to pick up a couple old faves to reread.
Nicole’s last blog post..New Addictions and Getting Organized
I have a hard time forcing myself to write rather than read, too–as much as I like writing, reading was my first obsession (grin).
And, yes, those are my books–even to the old card-catalog card from my early attempts at a library. I just adored the Trixie Belden books!
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