Writers and Stories

I think the best part of being a writer is being interested in stories.

Stories are everywhere. Not only are they embedded deep into the books we read, but they are also in the shows we watch, the movies we see, the games we play, the news we peruse and the conversations we have. They are all different, all created in different ways - some fiction, some real - but they are all stories nonetheless.

I think a lot of people forget that when they sit down to write. The goal is to share a story, to make it entertaining to the reader. Successful writers, in my mind, keep that always at the front. Sure, there are a lot of things that are important to writing - point of view, characters, grammar and construction, detail - but even grammar (and I almost shudder to say this) takes a backseat to the story. If it doesn't have a story driving readers onward, why are they going to care?

Sarah and I took a class last semester that was all based on plot. The driving force of a story is plot, our professor told us, and I really took that to heart. Think about it: How many things have you read that you weren't really that impressed with the writing, or the characters or something, but you kept reading anyway because you wanted to know what would happen next? I've hated the writing of some people, complained about it incessantly, but kept reading because I still wanted to know how it was all going to end.

Take a look at stories around you - in any form - and think about why someone was compelled to tell it. Then, take that inspiration and use it for your own endeavors. I constantly am inspired by good stories - whether from watching them on the big screen or reading them in the newspaper. Then, I take that inspiration and use it when I sit down in front of my computer and become a storyteller.

Happy writing,
Brenna