How to write a story - Some tips

Summary

This video provides practical tips for writing a compelling story. It outlines the structure of a story, emphasizing the importance of a strong introduction, main body, and conclusion. Key points include setting the scene, using linking phrases, and incorporating direct speech or rhetorical questions. The script also covers the use of various past tenses, including past simple, continuous, and perfect. Additional advice encourages writers to expand their vocabulary with new adjectives and verbs, use similes, and apply present and past participles. The video concludes with a quote from Stephen King, urging viewers to read and write frequently to improve their craft.

Takeaways

• 😀 A good story consists of three main parts: an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion.
• 😀 The introduction should set the scene by explaining when, where, and who is involved in the story in an engaging way.
• 😀 The main body of the story describes the events in chronological order, using linking phrases such as 'before,' 'meanwhile,' 'suddenly,' and 'after a while.'
• 😀 The conclusion should provide closure, including character reactions, feelings, or a final reflection on the events.
• 😀 To begin a story, you can describe the weather, surroundings, or feelings of the characters, as seen in examples like 'It was a dark stormy night.'
• 😀 For ending a story, consider using direct speech, rhetorical questions, or expressing feelings, e.g., 'I must have been dreaming,' or 'Isn't it true that love is behind?'
• 😀 When writing a story, use past tenses: past simple for actions that happened one after another, past continuous for ongoing actions, and past perfect for actions that occurred before others.
• 😀 To make your writing more vivid, use a variety of adjectives (e.g., amazing, terrific, enormous) and dynamic verbs (e.g., stare, whisper, crawl).
• 😀 Similes are a great way to describe people or things by comparing them to something else, like 'She was as brave as a lion' or 'That night, I slept like a log.'
• 😀 Incorporating present and past participles (e.g., 'turning' and 'exhausted') helps add variety and depth to your writing.
• 😀 Stephen King’s advice for aspiring writers: 'Read a lot and write a lot.' Regular practice is key to improving your writing skills.

Q & A

What are the three main parts of a story?

A story typically consists of an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. The introduction sets the scene, the main body describes the events in order, and the conclusion wraps up the story, often reflecting on the outcomes or emotions.

What should be included in the introduction of a story?

In the introduction, you should include details about when and where the story takes place, who is involved, and what is happening. This helps set the scene and engage the reader's imagination.

Why are linking phrases like 'meanwhile' or 'after a while' important in the main body of a story?

Linking phrases help to connect events and guide the reader through the sequence of actions in the story. They maintain the flow of the narrative and make transitions between events smoother.

How should you end a story?

To end a story, you can use direct speech, a rhetorical question, or describe the characters' reactions or feelings. The conclusion should provide closure to the events or leave the reader with something to reflect on.

What is the purpose of using direct speech in a story?

Direct speech adds realism to the story by letting characters speak for themselves. It makes interactions between characters feel more authentic and engaging.

What is the difference between a rhetorical question and a regular question?

A rhetorical question is asked to make a point or statement rather than to receive an answer. It often deepens the reader's engagement or emphasizes a theme, while a regular question seeks an actual answer.

Why is it important to use different past tenses when writing a story?

Different past tenses, like past simple, past continuous, and past perfect, allow the writer to convey various aspects of time and action. They help indicate when events happened relative to each other and make the story clearer.

How can adjectives and verbs enhance a story?

Adjectives make descriptions more vivid by adding detail and color to people, places, and events. Using varied verbs, instead of basic ones like 'walk' or 'look,' adds more depth and precision to the actions and emotions in the story.

What are similes, and how can they improve a story?

Similes are comparisons that use 'like' or 'as' to describe something by comparing it to something else. They can make descriptions more vivid and help readers visualize the scenes or emotions more clearly.

What is the role of participles in writing a story?

Participles (both present and past) add richness and detail to descriptions. The present participle ends in '-ing' and often indicates ongoing action, while the past participle is used to show completed actions or states, making the narrative more dynamic.