Things I’ve Learned About Storytelling From Years Of Reading Novels

I’m gonna be real with you: I’ve been reading novels for a long time. Like, almost two decades. In that time, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to tell a story. Sure, it helps if you’re incredibly smart and talented(and yes, I am). 

But there are certain techniques that can help anyone improve their narrative craft. So here’s one of the things I’ve learned over the years: when it comes to storytelling there are no shortcuts and there’s no shortage of ways to mess up.

Takeaways
1. Stories are windows into diverse worlds and perspectives.
2. Effective storytelling elicits emotional connections.
3. Character development is crucial for reader engagement.
4. Themes and motifs contribute to the depth of a story.
5. Narrative structure impacts the pacing and impact of a tale.

It’s All About Character

The best stories know that it’s all about character. If you want to make your readers feel something, if you want to capture their attention and keep it for the duration of your story, then it’s got to be about characters. 

Characters are what drive the story forward, they’re what readers care about, and they’re often what makes them root for or against certain people in your books.

When done correctly, characters can change your life. They can teach us lessons we never thought possible; they can show us sides of ourselves we didn’t know existed; they can inspire us with their courage or jolt us into action with their actions.

The key is learning how to create dynamic characters that have both flaws and strengths (and lots of charisma).

Building a strong foundation for your novel is essential for success. Discover the Top 10 Tips for the Aspiring Novel Writer to guide you through the journey of creating compelling stories.

Your Characters Have To Want Things

I’ve learned that your characters have to want things. It doesn’t matter what it is or if they’re successful in getting it; if they don’t have a goal or desire, then you won’t have much of a story. 

You need characters who are active and interesting, but also relatable, flawed, and three-dimensional.

The reason I bring this up is because there are so many stories out there where the protagonist has no real motivation for doing anything 

it’s all just random stuff happening around them. That’s fine in some cases (for example, if you’re writing a stream-of-consciousness stream), but otherwise I’d advise against it as much as possible because it makes your character feel flat and uninteresting and thus your reader will lose interest pretty quickly too!

Things Are More Interesting When They Go Wrong

What do I mean by that? Well, there’s nothing more exciting than watching a character fall down a well and be unable to get out. 

Or how about watching one of your favorite characters on their way to meet up with friends for coffee only for them to fail miserably at navigating the subway system and end up lost in the middle of nowhere?

It can add more tension and drama to your story if things aren’t going as planned or if you throw in some unexpected twists or turns along the way. 

For example, maybe instead of getting everything done on time during finals week, your character ends up procrastinating too much and failing all of his classes…or maybe he decides not to study at all because he thinks he’ll ace every exam no matter what!

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Make Your Reader Feel Something

To make your reader feel something, you need to make them care. That’s the first step in any story: the reader must care about what happens next.

This is sometimes called the “emotional connection” between reader and character, or between reader and story. It doesn’t have to be love and affection you can elicit other emotions from readers if you know how to tell a good story well. But it does have to be there!

If we look at fiction as an art form intended for entertainment (and as opposed to non-fiction), then it seems reasonable that readers are looking for emotional reactions from their books: laughter, tears, annoyance/disgust/anger…you get my drift here? 

If you want your book read by someone who isn’t already a fan of yours (or has no real reason not hate everything about it) then those reactions are important!

Be Smart With Your Time Jumps

Time jumps are a great way to illustrate the passage of time, but they can also be used to show the effects of time on characters, settings and plots.

Use them to show the passage of time. When you’re writing in first person (or third person limited), it can be hard to keep track of how much time has passed between scenes. 

Time jumps are useful for this purpose. They give you an easy way to indicate that several months have gone by since we last saw your protagonist or even years!

Use them to show character growth or change over time (or not). A lot can happen in a year or ten years, so if your protagonist gets married at 30 and has a kid at 40, then there’s bound to be some significant changes in his/her personality by 60.

And that’s not even counting what could happen after 60! We’ve all seen examples that go either way: 

Either people stay exactly who they were when they were younger or their lives take surprising turns once they reach middle age; both types are interesting stories worth telling…but only if their plot is strong enough!

Dialogue is the heart of many engaging stories. Learn 10 Ways to Write Great Dialogue and discover techniques that will make your characters’ conversations come to life on the page.

The show, Don’t Tell

If you’re a writer and you’ve been writing for a while, it’s likely that you already know this. But if you’re just starting out or are trying to improve your storytelling abilities, here’s a reminder: don’t tell us what happened show us. 

Don’t tell us what someone is thinking to show us. Don’t tell us what a character is feeling show us. And most importantly: don’t tell us what someone is doing (or not doing) show the reader instead!

As an example of why this matters, let’s say I want my readers to understand how much I love my dog Boomer. 

Maybe in one scene he jumps on me excitedly when I come home from work because he missed me all day, even though he was fed regularly and played with every hour on the hour by his favorite person in the whole world (me!). 

Or maybe another time he lies curled up next to me while I read my favorite book and falls asleep before long. Either way works great…but only if the reader actually sees it happen!

Nail Your Dialect

Dialect is a great way to add color and texture to your story. It can be used to add humor, as readers are often surprised by how funny dialect can be when it’s done well. 

It can also be used to highlight certain things about the character speaking in this case, such that he/she doesn’t have much money or education—which makes for good character development.

But most importantly, dialect is essential in making sure you don’t overuse exposition (telling instead of showing). 

Dialect helps readers see what characters say and hear what they say at the same time, which takes us out of the story rather than putting us into it and letting us experience it ourselves. Again: show instead of tell!

Take Advantage Of The Different Ways You Can Use Speech

One of the most important things you can do to make your characters come alive is to show how they speak. Speech can be used to show a character’s personality, feelings, background and story. It can also be used as motivation for their actions.

For example: If you want to show that your main character has a tough exterior but deep down inside he isn’t too bad of a guy, then have him describe himself as “tough” when he talks about himself. 

Or if he’s trying to impress someone, maybe have him say something like “Me? I’m one tough cookie!” 

This will let readers know that while they may not always see it on the surface level (because this person acts like an angry jerk), there’s more going on in his head than just being an angry jerk all day long!

Find A Voice That Suits Your Story

You can tell a story in many ways. You can write it, speak it, think it, feel it and live it. But no matter how you go about doing so, the most important thing is finding a voice that suits your story best.

A good example of this is JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It’s clear from reading those books that Rowling found her own unique way of writing these stories so that they have their own voices and don’t all sound similar to each other or anything else she’s written before or since (or at least any other book).

Everyone Has Their Own “Thing”

Your audience is made up of a lot of different people, and each one of them has their own interests, skills and experiences. These differences make your audience unique in their own way.

The world would be pretty boring if we were all the same – but being different can also be challenging sometimes! How do you write stories that will appeal to everyone? The answer is simple – you don’t! 

People aren’t interested in hearing someone else’s story because they’re already living it themselves (and probably know it better than you do!).

Instead of trying to create something that appeals to everyone, focus on writing stories that appeal specifically to one person: yourself! 

When you’re telling your own story, there’s no need to worry about whether or not other people will like it because if no-one else likes it then at least YOU will love it!

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Pace Yourself Well And You Can Tell An Epic Story In A Short Space

It’s hard to imagine a novel that isn’t about something. But what if your story is about the journey you took? What if the thing that happened was nothing? What if there is no end?

As with most things in life, reading novels has taught me patience. I’ve learned that it’s better to build up a story slowly than rush into its climax too quickly, and that it’s possible for an epic tale to be told in as few words as possible (see: Moby-Dick). 

It’s also taught me how important pacing is: some events deserve more attention than others; some characters need room to grow before they get their moment in the spotlight. And most importantly, it’s taught me not to be afraid of anything, not even the middle ground.

The Devil Is In The Details

Detail is the difference between a story and a storyteller. Details are what make a story come alive, what make it memorable, and what make it feel real. The best books are the ones that leave you thinking about them long after you put them down and most of the time.

This happens because of the details. When an author has paid attention to every little thing in their book (all those small things that add up to one big thing), then your experience reading their world will be just as rich as if you were actually present there yourself.

The devil is in the details; it’s how we learn about the character through action or reaction rather than exposition alone something I rarely saw demonstrated so well as when I first read “The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle back when I was twelve years old:

Let Your Reader Draw Their Conclusions Sometimes

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to spell everything out for your reader, and sometimes the best way to keep them on their toes is by leaving some things up in the air. 

If your character has a secret, maybe they should keep it from other people in the story until later on. You might also want to leave some things open-ended so that readers can make up their own endings for certain events or characters’ backstories.

This technique can be tricky because if you do it too often, it’ll feel like your book has no structure or resolution but if done well enough, this technique can add an extra layer of intrigue and intrigue that keeps readers wanting more!

Think Outside The Box When It Comes To Names And Places

In general, names and places are a great way to add depth to your story. When they’re used well, they can give the reader a sense of time and place and help them immerse themselves in the world of your book. 

They can also be used to create a sense of character: often, we don’t know what someone looks like until we hear their name it’s not uncommon for authors to give characters names that reflect their personality (like Harry Potter).

You don’t have to stick with common names or historical time periods when choosing names for your characters; think outside the box when it comes to naming them!

What Doesn’t Happen Can Be Just As Effective As What Does Happen

Learning how to use the power of suggestion and avoiding over-explaining your story is an essential part of storytelling. 

Many writers make the mistake of thinking that they need to tell everything that happens in their stories, but this is simply not true and it doesn’t work. What doesn’t happen can be just as effective as what does happen.

You should never explain anything until you absolutely have to, because any time you spend explaining something is a moment spent away from telling your story. Instead, let the reader fill in the gaps for themselves by using their imagination instead of yours: 

“The house was quiet when he woke up.” 

You don’t need to say “It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop,” because anyone reading that sentence will immediately imagine what it sounds like when there’s nothing but silence around them, which is much more powerful than describing it yourself!

Do you dream of completing a novel in a short span? Check out our guide on How to Write a Novel in 30 Days or Less for practical steps and advice to help you achieve your ambitious writing goals.

Conclusion

There’s a lot to learn about storytelling from novels. I’ve learned a lot over the years and I hope that this article has given you some ideas on how to improve your own stories! 

If you’re interested in learning more about story structure, check out my free ebook: “How To Write A Story”

Further Reading

5 Truths I Learned from Reading Books: Gain valuable insights from this article about the profound life lessons that can be derived from reading books.

What I’ve Learned About History from Reading Fiction: Discover how reading fiction can offer unique perspectives on historical events and broaden your understanding of the past.

What Can We Learn from Reading Fiction Novels?: Explore the various ways in which reading fiction novels can enrich our lives and expand our knowledge.

And here’s the FAQs section based on the semantic of the titles:

FAQs

How can reading books teach us valuable truths?

Reading books exposes us to diverse perspectives and experiences, helping us learn important life lessons and truths that resonate across different contexts.

What insights can fiction provide about history?

Fictional stories often weave historical events into their narratives, offering unique interpretations and insights that traditional historical accounts might overlook.

What are some benefits of reading fiction novels?

Reading fiction novels can enhance empathy, improve cognitive abilities, and provide a deeper understanding of human emotions and behaviors.

How does fiction contribute to our understanding of various subjects?

Fictional works can delve into complex themes, allowing readers to explore topics such as history, culture, and society from multiple angles.

Can reading fiction novels enhance creative writing skills?

Yes, reading fiction exposes writers to different writing styles, character development techniques, and plot structures, helping them refine their own creative writing abilities.