How to be the Ultimate Storyteller

You’ve been sitting in the same spot, staring at a blank page for hours…

So many ideas come to mind, but you throw every one of them away.

There’s something burning inside that has to be put on paper, but when you look at the book next to you, you feel more intimidated than you do encouraged.

And now you wonder why you chose to write a book in the first place…

Are you tired of doubting yourself and your story ideas? Looking for a way to tell a good story that doesn’t bore your audience?

Well, you’ve come to the right place.

This is the introduction of How to be the Ultimate Storyteller, a blog series dedicated to helping you tell a good story each and every time.

You can follow this series whether you’re a new writer or an experienced author.

You’ll learn how to tell a story from scratch, master the fundamentals of storytelling, and understand the relationship between readers and writers so you can stand out as a writer from day one.

By the end of this series, you will know how to craft unique stories and become the ultimate storyteller!

But to do this, we must first talk about something important…

The Difference Between Writing and Storytelling

Writing and storytelling are commonly interchanged, but they’re not the same thing.

The most obvious difference is writing only being a form of expression. You have an idea, grab a pen, and start putting words on a page.

That’s it.

‘Writing’ doesn’t even mean ‘fiction’ in every situation.

• Content writing
• Copywriting
• Grant writing
• Technical writing
• And more

There are numerous kinds of writing that are more commonly seen than creative fiction writing.

So, when I hear someone say “writing”, I’m not going to know what type they’re referring to. Only if I’m in a fiction community, writer’s group, or book club do I ever assume they mean creative writing.

Storytelling, on the other hand, means exactly that. Telling a story.

But unlike writing, storytelling doesn’t only mean words on some kind of surface. There’s spoken word, physical gestures, traditional and digital expression, and so much more.

This, of course, includes writing.

But no matter what medium or form of expression storytelling takes, you’re going to get a story.

So, when I hear, “storytelling”, I know there’s a story involved.

Another difference between writing and storytelling is that writing has many rules you must follow, even in ‘creative’ writing.

Storytelling is much more carefree and forgiving despite the variety of structures that exists. You can be more creative in storytelling than you can in ‘writing.’

This is important. In order to reach people, touch hearts, and stand out, you must be a good storyteller.

Focus on telling a story. Don’t obsess over writing a ‘creative’ piece that’s ‘academically’ perfect.

Most fall into this trap. That’s why you see so many books and stories out there that excel in structure and aesthetics, but lack depth and relatability.

Grasp the Fundamentals

Read, but Don’t Obsess

The point of reading books is to familiarize yourself with story structure, grammar in creative writing, and the various kinds of writing voices and writing styles a story can take on.

It seems like a simple task, but I see many storytellers and casual readers go way overboard about this.

A pleasant pastime turns into an intensive book study.

Don’t get me wrong. You should always observe and soak in everything you can with each book you read.

However, there’s a huge difference between learning what you can do to improve your storytelling, and believing every tiny detail needs to mean something greater than it is.

Here’s an example. From this paragraph alone and no other details given about the following character, what are the most believable theories?

• The sweetheart, never-hurt-a-fly type female character wants some red curtains. She plans to hang them in her bedroom which has soft green walls.

First Theory: This character just likes red curtains and thinks they would look nice in her room.

Second Theory: This character has a strong background in art. She knows red and green are complementary colors. That’s why the curtains have to be the color red!

Third Theory: There is a sense of resent building up in this character that no one knows about. She has soft green walls as an attempt of calming the demons inside of her, but the interest in red curtains hints that something will soon snap sooner.

Now, I’m all for interpretation and making most things have a purpose in a story, but to jump to such a conclusion like Theory 3…

Come on, now.

And depending on the content or era of the story, even Theory 2 might be a stretch.

What happened to simple likes and dislikes? I think it makes the character more fun and relatable if it’s remembered as a fictionally living creature with preferences.

There’s a right way and a wrong way to read to improve as a storyteller, and overanalyzing every little thing as it happens is something you should not do.

If you spend so much time trying to make everything symbolic, you risk losing the humanity and enjoyment in your own story.

Browse Fanfiction

Many ‘professional’ authors are against fanfiction, but I never understood why.

After all, if you’re hired to write for an established TV series, you’re essentially writing fanfiction.

Mind-boggling, I know.

The only difference is that you’re getting paid to do it and it’ll reach wider audiences.

But I don’t think those differences excuse fanfiction’s bad name, especially since there’s something fanfiction has that modern books do not.

And that’s the ability to combine fiction and reality. Emotion and logic. Story and structure.

This may sound like the typical book, but that’s sadly not true.

It’s common to structure modern literature in a way that separates different topics in new paragraphs, but none relate to the plot or subplot.

Topic A, Topic B, and so on.

Similar to academic papers, but no main idea.

For example:

• First Paragraph: Extensive description of the scene’s setting.
• Second Paragraph: Character reflects on their current actions or worries about another character’s reaction.
• Third Paragraph: A bland monologue of the character’s feelings about the situation they are in. This typically includes random details of their past or hopes for the future.
• Fourth Paragraph: Scene change.

Rinse and repeat until we get to something interesting in the next plot point. In which case, the plot point replaces Paragraph 4.

One of my main rules in telling a story is keeping the flow. If there’s no flow, the story is less fun to read or listen to.

Make everything as connected and seamless as possible.

Instead of describing the environment in one paragraph and then moving onto the character’s thoughts, just combine them.

Make the setting relate to what the character is feeling in that moment. Make the setting have a purpose.

I, personally, come across a lot more flow in fanfiction than I do in original works.

So, read a bit of fanfiction (ignore the badly written ones!), familiarize yourself with the different styles, and incorporate that in your own stories.

You’ll instantly stand out as a storyteller!

Here’s a quick list of the best fanfiction websites I’ve come across and have been active in.

• FanFiction.net (largest fanfiction community with a variety of content to choose from. You can also easily find a beta reader here to assist you in improving your storytelling or writing skills)
• Archive of Our Own (large variety of content to choose from with a very active and helpful community)
• Quotev (original works are most popular here, but there is an active community of celebrity fanfiction)
• Wattpad (original works thrive here, but there’s an area for fanfiction, too)
• AsianFanfics (mostly for K-POP fans, but includes drama and entertainment from many Asian countries)

Tell a Story the Right Way

Study the Hero’s Journey

Remember how we talked about the rules to writing?

Well, there are rules to storytelling as well — or more accurately put, there’s a guide that’s commonly used in the creative writing world.

I introduce to you, the Hero’s Journey.

It’s a template designed to help craft a complete story with a solid beginning, middle, and end.

You’re usually expected to follow the Hero’s Journey if you’re a storyteller, but I don’t think that’s true for all situations.

There are 17 stages of the Hero’s Journey, but I studied 12 of them in college. We studied these 12 stages in-depth and applied them to the plots and storylines of different films, cartoons, and games.

When I researched the 17 stages myself later on…I found the remaining phases too detailed and specific.

To apply all of them to a story made it more difficult for me to be ‘creative.’ I felt like I was checking off boxes.

And as we all know, checking off boxes is not a good thing.

Personally, I feel the 12 stages I studied can apply to most types of stories without the stress, so I want to share them with you here.

The 12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey:

1. Ordinary World = We meet the protagonist

2. Call to Adventure = The exact moment the plot or adventure triggers

3. Refusal of Call = The protagonist denies or refuses to go through with the adventure or conflict

4. “Supernatural” Aid = Anyone or anything that aids the protagonist in some way. Typically a mentor, supporting character, or special weapon

5. Crossing the Threshold = The moment the protagonist accepts the adventure/consequences and dives into the new world or conflict

6. The Belly of the Whale = The protagonist accepts the separation of their current actions and their old self/life.

7. Road of Trials = The obstacles the protagonist faces throughout their journey

8. The Meeting with the Goddess = The protagonist gains help in some fashion. Traditionally, it is an item or weapon, but it can also be guidance or knowledge

9. “Woman” as Temptress = The protagonist is met with temptations to stray away or abandon their journey.

10. Atonement with the Father = The moment the protagonist faces themselves or the source of their faults. The previous stages lead up to this point, and the remaining ones act as a ‘follow-up’ to the change.

11. Apotheosis = The protagonist has a new resolve and gains new knowledge to use in the ultimate showdown or confrontation.

12. The Return = The protagonist returns to the Ordinary World as a different person than when they started the story.

Now, as I said, this is only a guide. It’s not mandatory to use.

However, it’s good to familiarize yourself with the modified version of the Hero’s Journey so you have a complete story with no plot holes.

Nurture Unforgettable Characters

Characters are the backbone of any story, yet most of the time characters fall short of being great.

In fact, they’re usually pretty boring, disposable, or just plain cringy.

This is because the focus is commonly put on stuffing a whole lot of twists and sub-plots into one story.

Or worse, writers throw way too much effort into the settings to make a ‘complete’ and ‘distinctive’ world…that somehow forgets the unique civilians and creatures that inhabit it.

And then when asked about their characters, storytellers often describe them in-depth with a full character arc and journey…

That I did not see at all in the actual story.

To be a storyteller, you have to have memorable characters, and characters are not that hard.

All you need to do is remember the force that drives your story, which is typically your character.

• What happened to your character in the past to make them the way they are in the present story?
• Do any of these past events or circumstances affect the character now?
  • Do they have a presence the character must deal with during their journey?
• How do you describe the character from the time of their introduction in the story, to how they are at the end of the story?
• What are the exact moments that take place during your story that fuel the character’s changes?
• How should your audience feel when the character enters a scene?
  • What must you do to show these qualities in the character?

Creating an amazing character does not stop with these questions.

However, repeatedly asking yourself these questions at every stage of the writing process guarantees you’ll never lose sight of your character.

Craft a Dynamic Story World

As a storyteller, you should always try to make the world your story takes place in as real and fleshed out as possible. This is true even if you create an epic fantasy full of original landscapes, creatures, and lore.

Every setting needs to have a purpose.

• Why is this character at a park?
• How does the kitchen add to the plot, storyline, character’s journey, or drama?
• Is there a reason why an argument had to take place in a college classroom and not the cafeteria?

And the overall environment — the world — shouldn’t be a simple background.

• Why does your story take place in an epic fantasy and not the streets of New York City?
• What does the era you chose have that benefits your story that other eras do not?
• How does the environment or world you chose bring your story to life in a way no other environment can?

You chose this world, the settings, the timelines, and the eras for a reason.

Explain the reason as often as possible as the story unfolds, but never prioritize it over the story or characters.

Crafting a dynamic world isn’t rocket science. Just as simple as it actually is to create a character your audience can envision and empathize with, you can do the same to the fictional world your story takes place in.

Everything has a purpose in a story. Your job is to remember that purpose so that nothing — story, plot, characters, world — is left behind.

Tell a Unique Story

This might seem like a daunting task, but hear me out.

Most writers struggle to write anything at all because ‘everything has already been done.’

And to a certain extent, that is true.

But that shouldn’t stop you from becoming a storyteller and sharing your interpretation of ideas you feel others are already tired of.

Beyond that, it’s actually really easy to tell a story that’s different from what we’re all familiar with.

Just change your perspective and ask some questions.

I think Margaret Atwood demonstrates this best with her alternative opening line for Little Red Riding Hood.

“It was dark inside the wolf.”

See how instant the tone, concept, and style changes? What a new story Little Red Riding Hood has suddenly become?

Don’t think for a second that this only counts for existing stories. Do this for your own original works, too!

• How would the entire essence of my story change if I were to start it at the most heart-wrenching or climatic part?
• Would my story’s concept change dramatically if it were in the perspective of a supporting character rather than the protagonist?
• What makes the way I’m telling this story different than the way I’ve seen others have?
  • Do I express ideas, themes, conflicts, or messages in an uncommon way?

Ask yourself more questions than these. Never stop questioning until you feel confidence overtake the doubt.

Creative Ways to Tell a Story

Identify Your Specialty Genre

• R. R. Tolkien specialty is high fantasy
• Agatha Christie specialty is murder-mystery
• Stephen King specialty is horror
• Lisa Kleypas specialty is romance

Most authors have a specialty fiction genre they’re known for, but do you have to have one in order to tell a good story?

Well…not exactly. But it helps to know what you’re good at.

You can’t look something up, paraphrase it, market it to an audience, and expect to be a storyteller.

Well, you kind of would, but not a very good one.

The majority of storytelling has to do with creativity. Having ideas of scenarios, conflicts, or messages and threading it all in a way that reaches your readers or listeners.

But you can’t tell a story effortlessly if you have no ideas that come to you naturally.

One person can envision romance scenes with no problem, but that same person may not be able to think of a creepy horror one.

Or perhaps you might have great ideas for a murder-mystery, but come time to tell the actual story, you fall flat on your face.

Why? Because it’s unbelievable and not convincing despite being a creative idea.

Telling a story in a genre you can tap into in your sleep is the key to limitless explorations.

All it takes is realizing what ideas come to you naturally and making them the foundation of your story.

Do what you like, but also what you’re good at.

That’s not to say you can’t experiment with other genres that you don’t excel in. Of course, you can!

But the first rule to be a great storyteller is to not force it. You should never have to struggle to tell a story just because a genre doesn’t fit with you.

YOU’LL ALSO LOVE: 13 Mindblowing Hacks to Perfect Any Fiction Genre

Structure a Story Properly

A lot of us have heard there needs to be a beginning, middle, and end to a story.

And for the most part, that’s true.

But how you portray that beginning, middle, and end is up to you.

Maybe you like non-chronological order, where the story is told out of order.

Or you prefer the traditional ‘start and finish’ approach.

There are a variety of structures to tell the same story, and each way usually changes the narrative or style to create something new.

As a storyteller, it’s your job to choose the best form to get the most out of a story’s message, characters, or themes.

But no matter the structure you choose, always make sure the story makes sense.

If you choose non-chronological order, for example, it’s easy to forget what’s what, who is where, when something takes place, and blah blah blah.

You might be able to get by because you planned ahead, but how about your audience? Are they able to follow the story?

Have a clear idea of how you’re going to structure your story. Write it all down, and see it from a reader’s perspective.

• Does every scene flow into the next?
• Are plot points and storylines easy to follow and remember?
• Do each event or scene answer previous questions while asking new ones?

If the blueprint is understood, then so can the story, no matter the structure.

Develop Your Writer’s Voice

Everyone talks in a way that differs from another.

Some people articulate their speech, while others — like me — are straight to the point. Even then, there are some quirks and habits that make two people with similar speech patterns stand out from each other.

The same goes for your writing voice.

The way you would tell a story in speech should reflect the pattern of words you put on a page. You’ll stand out as a storyteller because your unique charms will automatically shine through in your story.

However, sometimes your natural speech pattern might not give you the effect you’re going for in certain types of stories or narratives.

A writing voice is not about sticking to one style. It’s about being you at any time or place.

Happy, sad, adventurous, resentful, passionate, fearful — you express yourself in different ways depending on your mood.

What you may not be able to portray in one mood, you can in another. And even if you find you still can’t get the effect you want, all it takes is practice.

A good way to do that is to change the narrative or perspective of a story.

Just like how Margaret Atwood changed the whole portrayal of Little Red Riding Hood with the single line, “It was dark inside the wolf.”

Do the same with stories you know. Take what’s already there and express the idea in different ways.

The styles and tones may change, but your voice shouldn’t.

In Conclusion

Telling a good story takes more than knowing the basics of writing and storytelling.

You can have the most in-depth fictional world and characters, but if you don’t add empathy or relatability, you risk not connecting with your reader at all.

And a story that isn’t relatable is one that is not memorable.

…Unless, of course, it’s so jumbled and unfiltered that it leaves a memorably bad impression.

The gap between good and bad storytelling is large, but it’s actually not that hard to become great.

With a little observation and practice, you can become the storyteller you want to be while keeping what makes you, YOU.

If you want to know how to blend fiction and reality, connect with me so you’ll stay up-to-date on the How to be the Ultimate Storyteller blog series, where I go into more detail about every subject covered in this post!

How to be the Ultimate Storyteller blog series:

• 0. How to be the Ultimate Storyteller (You are here!)
• 1. How Reading is Stopping You from Being a Good Storyteller
• 2. 11 Surprising Myths about Fanfiction
• 3. Hero’s Journey: What You’re Doing Wrong
• 4. 7 Hacks to Develop Unforgettable Characters
• 5. How to Create a Fictional World that Doesn’t Overshadow Your Story
• 6. What I Wish I Knew about Genres Before Writing
• 7. 13 Major Mistakes that are Ruining Your Story Structure
• 8. Why Having a Writer’s Voice is Total Bull

Well, that’s how I do things. Now it’s your turn. What are your methods to tell a great story?

Related Posts:

• 13 Mindblowing Hacks to Perfect Any Fiction Genre