What Makes a Good Story?

Firstly, I always think you need to know what type of story you are writing. Why? Because there are particular expectations for certain stories that we associate with each type. Typically these are known as ‘genres’ – so think Romance, or Mystery, Crime or Thriller.

For each one readers will have particular needs that they want met. So within a Romance we expect two people to fall in love. But, more than just that, we anticipate there will be problems with this along the way; the initial meeting or first attraction, the misunderstanding, the first kiss. All of these are markers that can help you frame your story to ensure that it meets the basics that readers want in the story they have picked up.

When my clients aren’t sure about the type of story they’re writing, I usually ask what they want to see in their story. What elements do they envision making up the story itself? If they have a murder or dead body, it’s likely to be a crime, or mystery, or thriller. If they have aliens or extraterrestrial life forms they’re veering into Sci-Fi, or mythological beings can be considered Fantasy.

Think about the last couple of novels you read. When you picked it up did the blurb on the back give you a taste of what to expect? An indication of what happened to set the story off? It should also have given you an overview of the main character’s journey – be it a physical one, or an internal one. 

Blurbs are the short descriptions that provide a descriptive account of the book and creates intrigue in the reader so that they decide to curl up with a cuppa and enjoy losing themselves in the story. These blurbs tell us what to expect and give us vital information about the story we’re going to read. They introduce the main character, raise questions about what could happen, and crucially persuade the reader to actually read the book!

Blurbs are great for writers to learn how to sum up our story and determine exactly where they fit in the book-world. Go and check out a few book blurbs and see if you can get the basis of the story the author is trying to tell – what genre is it? Who is the main character? What is the inciting incident that sets the story off? And what question does it raise for the reader to get curious about what happens next?

If you analyse these – especially ones that might be considered similar to your own genre – then it gives you a great insight into your own story. It encourages you to identify the essential elements of your story and sum it up, sharing the character, the stakes, and the central question that readers will keep on reading to find the answer. In essence, this tells you if the story is any good from a reader perspective.

Try writing a blurb for a book you love. What stands out to you? What did you think the book was about? Did it have a central theme, and how did it entice you to read it; what made you curious enough to finish it? Look for things that books you love have in common, what descriptors they use to introduce you to characters, and how they set up the inciting incident that propels the character into the story. What questions do they raise that creates intrigue?

If you can practice capturing your story in a blurb you’ll discover that you understand it all the better because it forces you to boil it down to the basics.

I always find that this helps me clarify what my story is, and if it’s a good one. It will make you focus on what your story is really about, and give you a good sense of the questions you will be expected to answer as the novel develops.

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Need some help identifying the key direction of your story and character’s main arc?
Book in for a Story Session and let me help you clarify your idea and create an outline that will help you write it!