How to Create a Compelling Story

Do you have a story to tell? But when you get around to writing it, you draw a blank.

Writing a story can be hard. Writing a compelling story, even harder.

You may have the idea in your head. You may even have the starting point, the middle and the end in your mind.

But writing those ideas in a way that the readers or the watchers enjoy your story is something that needs to be learnt and practiced.  

Writing a compelling story does not always come easily.

So, how to create a compelling story? Simply follow the below-mentioned tips and create your own masterpiece.              

1. Get your readers hooked from the first chapter.

The opening of the story matters a great deal. The first few lines you write need to be interesting enough or beautiful enough for the reader to keep reading.

Remember that the opening para sets the tone for everything else that follows. It is the first taste a reader would get of your writing.

It is the first (maybe only) chance you will get to captivate the reader enough for them to keep reading your story.

In order to get the reader or watcher hooked to your story, give them a glimpse of the world you have created.

To give an enthralling start to your story, you can write a simple yet profound statement that the readers can connect with.  

Or you can begin your story with a thought-provoking question. Or an event that just isn’t expected at the beginning of a story.

However you choose to begin your story, the sentences need to be crafted in a way that they are able to get the readers hooked to the story.

This way, they would want to keep reading your story.

2. Create relatable characters.

A vital part of writing a great story is about being able to create compelling characters.

So, how to write a compelling character?

An important part of creating a compelling character is creating characters that are relatable.

Be it the protagonist or other characters in the story, if you make them relatable, the readers or watchers enjoy them more.

When the reader is able to see that the traits, incidents or even physical features of the characters of the story are similar to theirs, they are able to relate to them.

The characters need to have their own interests, strengths, fears and desires which are a part of every real person’s life.

Also, the characters need to go through character development, just like people do.

In real life, people change, for better or worse. They don’t stay the same all their lives. That is how they grow.

The same needs to happen in the lives of the characters of the story. That makes the characters even more relatable.

Even if it happens on a subconscious level, relatable characters are more liked by the consumers of the story. Hence, they continue watching or reading the story.        

3. Set the rhythm or speed at which your story progresses.

In most examples of compelling stories, you would find that each of those stories move forward at different speeds.

Sometimes, the speed of the story-progression depends on the genre of the story.

And not just that, different parts of the same story might progress at varied speeds depending on the specific scene or incident being written.

Usually, short and gripping scenes are written to create excitement in the reader; while slow-moving, long and thought-provoking scenes are written in order to present a philosophical or deep idea.

While setting the progression-speed of a book or a movie, there is one more thing you need to take care of.    

Make sure that it is not too slow as you might end up losing the reader’s attention.

Also, make sure that it is not too fast either. Telling a story too fast might make it lose its emotional depth.

Plus, you might have to leave out important details if you make the story move too fast.  

4. Create a clear setting.

A major factor of creating a compelling story is its setting.

What is the setting of a story?

The setting of a story is basically a sort of backdrop for the story and its characters.

The setting of a story does not denote just the physical location where the story takes place.

It also indicates the social conditions, historical period and whole vibe of the story.

The setting of a story helps in creating an image that makes sense for that particular story.

While creating the setting of a story, make sure that you describe it clearly.

People need to understand the backdrop of the story properly in order to understand the idea and depth of the story that is taking place on the pages or on screen.

Also, the setting of the story should not overshadow the actual story you are creating.

An excellent way to create a great setting is by including elements like smells, sounds and textures, along with sights.

It’s like giving the story an extra dimension.            

5. Write realistic dialogues.

When it comes to the question, what makes a story compelling, one of the easiest answers is, its dialogues.

Dialogues are super important. Dialogues hold the power to make or break a story.

Through dialogues, the characters’ traits can be revealed and the plot moved along further.

Dialogues can bring up the tension in the story and bring it down as well. Dialogues have the power to present deep ideas with few words.

They have the power to evoke those emotions in the reader which the main character of the story is going through.

Writing powerful dialogues is an art that can be mastered with practice. One of the best ways to write powerful dialogues is by writing realistic ones.

And how to write realistic dialogues?

Write in a way in which people usually talk in real life. Keep it simple. Use simple words.

Make it sound realistic. Like something you would say to the people around you in your daily life.

Also, make it sound natural. The flow of the dialogues between characters need to seem natural, not forced.      

If possible, do not make the dialogues heavy with exposition.    

Remember that successful exposition is integrated into the story gently. And not just through dialogues, but through descriptions and action scenes as well.

6. Craft a strong plotline.

When it comes to making a story compelling, this factor plays a major role. Pun intended.    

If you want to make your story interesting, you need to create a strong plotline. And how can you create a strong plotline? Here’s how.

The protagonist needs to have a specific objective. All the actions that are carried out by the protagonist in the story need to be in accordance with that objective.

Also, there needs to be an inciting incident. One that creates a disruption in the regular life of the protagonist.

This disruption can be presented in the form of a problem that the protagonist needs to find a solution for.

Thereby, turning the story more interesting.

Other important elements of a strong plotline include obstacles, conflicts, high stakes, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

The stronger the plotline, the more gripping it is for the reader or the watcher.        

7. Choose a theme.

Every story needs a theme. A theme is what the story is woven around.

A theme is the main idea, underlying meaning or message that the writer wants to convey through the story.

It is not just about the sequence of events that takes place in a story.    

The theme of the story can come alive through dialogues, background, and the type of events that occur in the story.

The theme of the story can be anything— love, sacrifice, courage, revenge, justice or social issues.    

The theme is very useful in providing depth and purpose to the story.

A powerful idea stays with the readers (or watchers) long after they’ve finished reading the book.

And a story without a theme can turn out to be shallow and boring. And hence, easily forgettable by the reader or the watcher.    

8. Show, don’t tell.

While learning to write a compelling story, one of the first things you’ll be taught is “show, don’t tell”.

“Show, don’t tell” is a technique used in writing.

According to this technique, thoughts, actions, dialogues and sensory details are used to present an idea or information rather than writing it directly as a statement.

For example, rather than writing “Hazel was angry”, you can write “her face flushed, the knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists tightly. She spoke in a voice so low that it sounded like a growl”.

9. Use subtext.

When you look at compelling story examples, you would see that a lot of those stories use subtext.

Subtext is an underlying message or idea that is presented or conveyed without writing about it in a straightforward way.

When a writer uses subtext, the reader is free to figure out what the writer is trying to say or the idea that is being presented in the story.

Subtext is very useful in creating tension in the story. It is also a great way to add depth, express irony and reveal motives in the story.

Subtext can be presented by using tools and techniques such as “show, don’t tell”, metaphors and foreshadowing.

Using subtext while writing a story gives the reader a chance to read between the lines and understand the idea being presented.

Compelling Story FAQs

What are the 5 C's of storytelling?

The five C’s of storytelling is a kind of guideline that can be used to construct a compelling plotline or narrative.

Most commonly the 5 C’s of writing a book denote Characters, Context, Change, Conflict and Conclusion.

These five C’s are vital elements of a story and are very helpful in building a proper structure; one that appeals to the readers or watchers.      

What are the 5 parts of the plotline?

The plot of a book or a movie is basically the sequence in which the main events in the story take place.

These events usually have a specific order in which they occur.

It provides structure and helps the reader or the audience make sense of the scenes that they are watching, or the incidents that they are reading about.

The structure of a plotline can be divided into five different elements— exposition (description of an idea), rising action or tension, climax, falling action and the resolution.

What are the 4 P's of storytelling?

The four P’s of storytelling are also known as the four pillars of storytelling. They include People, Place, Purpose and Plot.

People are the characters we create in our stories.

Once you figure out how to utilise the 4 P’s of storytelling, you win half the battle of creating an interesting story that can keep people captivated till the end.

What are the 5 W's in story writing?

In order to make a story more interesting, you can follow the five W’s of story writing.

The five W’s stand for Who, What, Where, When and Why.

The 5 W’s is a tried and tested guideline of writing stories that has created some amazing ones.                

What is the triangle method of storytelling?

The triangle method of storytelling follows a guideline under which the three important elements of a story are balanced properly.

Those three elements are Characters, Setting and Plot.

While writing a story, if you are using the triangle method, then these three elements need to be balanced.

They need to be used in a way that they work together effectively.        

What are the three rules of storytelling?

The three rules of storytelling are- make it real, make it compelling and make it actionable.

What are the 8 elements of story telling?

If you have been thinking about how to create a compelling plotline, remember the eight elements of story telling.      

The eight elements of story telling are characters, theme, plot, setting, conflict, tone, style and point-of-view.