Success factors of Storytelling (Part 6): Analysing the “WHO”"

This will be the sixth and last second post for this series, the last being a story which integrates all the concepts learnt (which will be the next post).

Before reading further, please click on the links below to read the earlier posts to get a better picture of the concepts mentioned previously:

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 1): Start with the “WHY”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 2): Exploring the “WHAT”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 3): Exploring the “HOW”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 4): Let’s look at a story

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 5): Investigating the “Where” and “When”

When it comes to the “WHO”, we are basically looking at the characterisation of individuals. There are many characters within a novel. While short story writing does not require an extensive number of characters, there should still be two or more characters within the story to make it come alive. However, that is not to say that increasing the number of characters in the story will make it more interesting. On the contrary, “overloading” the story with a large number of characters only dilute the significance of these characters – resulting in a story that usually ends up being more complex and characters becoming more shallow.

There should be a common understanding among writers that each and every character within the story – regardless of the “screen time” given to them  - should serve a purpose. There is a saying that everybody who comes into our lives teaches us something. This is very true and as writers, we should let this truth manifest in the crafting and weaving of our stories – be it based on reality or imaginary. All characters should be treated with equal respect and importance in any story. We can see the significance of minor characters strengthening the story most  strongly in romantic comedies, where the lead character’s best friends are often the highlights of the movie at certain points in the films, providing light-hearted moments where intense emotions are experienced.  In a nutshell, all writers should be egalitarians. Only when writers do justice to all characters will their stories truly shine.

Characters can primarily be broken down into three types:

1. Lead characters

2 Supporting Character

3. Villains

Let’s discuss this one by one:

• Lead Characters:  These character are usually limited to one individual (just like Sherlock Holmes) – or at most two (just like the two brothers in “The Hardy Boys” series). But then again, there are often exceptions (just like King Aragorn, Legolas, Frodo, Gandalf etc in “Lord of the Rings“). They are usually the focus of the story and most writers spent most of their time narrating their every movement and thought. Much thoughts have to be given to these lead characters because they should be the alluring factor in the story that draw readers. Most memorable lead characters have complex personalities and some are downright enigmatic. It is not advisable for a lead character to be totally saintly (i.e., he or she is a totally good person with  no flaws and unimaginable virtues that anyone who sees them will bow down in awe. Lead characters will have no problems with their lives and always have an optimistic attitude). A character who holds such noble qualities is admirable but not realistic.  Nobody in real life can fit that mold and because of this, readers will feel detached and indifferent to such ridiculous caricatures. However, give the lead characters soul, grant them a great goal to pursue in their lives, throw them some seemingly insurmountable challenges along their way, provide them with helpful companions and show their inner, emotional dilemma and you have a strong lead character that readers will surely root for. Why? Because readers are able to relate to them – no different from seeing them in the flesh. Only when a writer is able to create such a lively and relatable characters will their stories transform into masterpieces.

• Supporting characters: But having interesting and memorable lead characters is only half the writing journey of writers. Supporting characters are required in the story to enliven the atmosphere and create the required ambience. It is important that supporting characters should not outshine the lead characters in terms of their “screen time” as well as their actions and thoughts  while at the same time, they need to provide emotional support to the lead characters, provide a listening ear, lend a helping hand when necessary and more important, supporting characters should bring out the required qualities in the lead characters at pivotal points in the story. It almost seems contradictory that supporting characters should do little and yet do so many things all at once. It is indeed a delicate balance and some writers might find that creating and deciding the “screen time” of these supporting characters might prove to be more challenging than narrating the actual story itself – not to mention deciding the precise points of their entry into the story as well as their actions and thoughts. Having a cast of strong and prominent supporting characters may well tip the scale when the story stagnates at a certain point or when writers hit a writer’s block midway through the story.

• Villains: Yes, we are talking about the baddies that almost always exist in the story. They are important primarily because of two reasons: the badness in them brings out the good in the lead characters, thereby creating a stark contrast of the typical battle between good and evil. Readers love reading about this conflict because it is prevalent in real life and all if not most of us are able to relate to it to some degree. Readers also relish the delight of good defeating evil as it symbolises the eternally-held belief of good triumphing over evil. Secondly, the defeat of the villain often acts as the end point of the story. And hence, the state of the villain indicates how the story is progressing. When they are defeated, the readers understand that the story is coming to an end. Hence, writers often use villains to control the pace of the story.  Once again, like the lead characters (who cannot be totally good), villains cannot be totally evil. This is because there is good in everyone and portraying someone as totally bad is not realistic. A good example would be the animation film “Megamind”, where the line drawn between good and evil  was blurred. The villain in the film ,Megamind, was bad due to circumstances in his childhood and not by choice. On the other hand, Metro Man, the good guy that everyone was cheering for, had a fatal flaw – a lack of perseverance and a proclivity for an early retirement. It’s characters like this that make a book or a film shine. When creating a villain, give him some heart, show readers the reason(s) for his badness, draw out some redeeming qualities out of him and let readers see his  tender side. Writers who are able to do this will surely have a strong group of supporting readers cheering them on.

While I have placed the “WHO” of story-writing as the last post, it does not imply that it is the least important. I have not ordered the various concepts in any way in this series of posts, so please feel free to explore whichever ways you find comfortable. Sometimes, creating a memorable character may be a great choice while at other times, emphasising the settings of the story may be a better option.

In my next post, I will write a short story to integrate all the concepts learnt.

Stay tuned.

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 5): Investigating the “WHERE” and “WHEN”

In this post, we continue with the investigation of the “WHERE”  and “WHEN” of storytelling.  This is the fifth post for this series. Please have a look at the previous four posts before reading on:

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 1): Start with the “WHY”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 2): Exploring the “WHAT”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 3): Exploring the “HOW”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 4): Let’s look at a story

Location (“where” of a story) is very important. And when we think of location, we usually also relate it to a specific time period (“when” of a story).

Let’s look at the significance that time period plays in a writer’s work first.

There are some authors who specialise in writing novels in a particular time period, doing in-depth research before penning their novels. Sometimes, their interest in these time periods is so intense that they would decide to pen an entire series of books in this time period. We usually call these types of novels historical novels. An example of such titles lies in this list on Amazon.com.

Alternatively, some authors choose to create a world or worlds of their own. Some writers who chose this route may prefer forging a new world from scratch for the location(s) of their stories over hours spent in the library doing research. The fantasy genre is one arena where such authors exercise their vivid imagination.  An example can be seen in this list on Amazon.com. Science-fiction novels is another area where worlds can be created, as shown in this list on Amazon.com.

Of course, there are also the biographical titles where stories are narrated from the past. These may seem to be the easiest out of the three when it comes to writing a story but one has to remember that biographical stories are also the most limiting – since the stories are weaved out of established facts from the past that cannot be changed, and technical details such as the schools where the main individuals graduated from are expected to be very precise. Therefore, for such writing, it’s less of imagining or conducting research and more of interviewing individuals close to the person a writer is writing on, as well as consolidating and synthesising data and information useful to the content of the book to increase its accuracy.  An example can be found in this list on Amazon.com.

Besides time period, there is also the element of location. Unlike time period, which is usually fixed, location can vary – even within the same time period. For example, if  a story of espionage is set within World War II, the lead protagonist can move from Italy to Britain to Germany to Japan.  Hence, other than biographical stories, writers are often given the flexibility to decide on the locations, and the order in which they appear.

Stories can move from one location to another in a fast or slow manner, and sometimes, they can return to the initial location. Locations can also be indoor or outdoor, providing different scenarios for different scenes to be played out. For instance, a cat-and mouse search within a house can only happen indoor, while a car chase can only occur outdoor. Location also determines if the setting is in a rural or urban area or both – and these differences make a whole lot of difference in how readers perceive the story.

It is important for writers to have a good understanding of how their story is going to be played out. Once the story is determined, the background of the story should be decided soon. This is because only when the story background is laid out can writers determine the time period and location.

The period and location determines the “feel” of the story and hence, it is important that these two factors get decided first before commencing writing. Of course, writers are free to improvise and revise their decisions later but unless writers choose to rewrite their stories, it is impossible to change the time period of the story. Furthermore, changes in location later in the story-writing process have their limitations. Thus, extra care has to be given to this aspects of story-writing.

In the next post for this series, we will be taking a look at the “WHO” of story-writing.

Stay tuned.

Success factors of Storytelling (Part 4): Let’s look at a story

Before we proceed further, let’s explore a story integrating the “why”, “what” and “how” elements. This is a continuation from the previous three posts. If you have not read them, please access them in the online links below:

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 1): Start with the “WHY”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 2): Exploring the “WHAT”

Success Factors of Storytelling (Part 3): Exploring the “HOW”

Let’s look at a story with the topic of “tolerance”:

———————————————————————–

“What do you think you should do when someone scolds you?”

“I will scold him back.”

“Haha! Will there be an end to this then?”

“Hm….”

“What if you keep quiet?”

“He will keep scolding me.”

“No. He will stop.”

There are many lessons that Uncle Johnson taught me about life but the most memorable lessons are those of tolerance. Why do I find this lesson to be the most memorable? Because my understanding and practice of tolerance has enabled me to be successful in life, widening my social circle and advancing my career.

Uncle Johnson doesn’t teach. He shows me the lessons through real-life examples. He doesn’t shout back when shouted by others. He cleans up a water spill from a kettle after carelessly dropping it without any form of lamenting. He almost always smiles in front of hostile or aggressive parties and never raise his voice necessarily  during times when I think that he should be angry. I have learnt a great deal through Uncle Johnson’s daily dealings with others.

“Tolerance is a virtue”, Uncle Johnson used to tell me. “With tolerance, one can weather any types of storm in life. There are many people who feel that retaliation is the antidote to insults when tolerance is the prescription.”

When I was reprimanded by teachers in school, Uncle Johnson would advice me to simmer down and asked me what was the lesson that I could learn from this. When I told Uncle Johnson that there was no lesson to be learnt, he would keep quiet and soon after, told me that my anger and denial of the truth had kept me from recognising the lessons hidden within. He would give me a week to think things through and strange enough, I would almost always get the lesson by the deadline, of which he would request that I write down these learnt lessons in a journal.

Initially, I did not know that Uncle Johnson was managing my emotions. I just had the feeling that he was teaching me about lessons, lessons which I had to write in my journal. But then again, I guess I was justified in not knowing the truth since I was only twelve then.

It was only many years later, when I had lost contact with Uncle Johnson after I had left for further studies, that I realised this when I returned to my old home and found my long-lost journal under a stack of clothes in the basement of my house. Flipping through the last few pages of my journal, I came across a few paragraphs of text on the last few pages that I have not seen before:

Dear Kenny,

You are almost done in writing on this book, so I will like to give you a last advice to serve as a closure to all that you have learnt.

 You might think that you are learning lessons of life from me but in actuality, I am teaching you about tolerance. This is the only lesson that I am teaching you. Whatever you have written on this book is all about tolerance. 

How is that so?

Life’s lessons have tolerance at its core. 

This is all you need to learn in your life.

Love,

Uncle Johnson 

Brushing the dust off the dried pages of the journal, I cried.

I cried because I missed the lessons I have learnt under the tutelage of Uncle Johnson.

I cried because I have not known and acknowledged Uncle Johnson’s years of effort and dedication in taking care of me.

But most importantly, I cried because I missed Uncle Johnson.

Suddenly, there was a few loud knocks on the front door.

“Kenny! Are you in there?”

I recognised Uncle Johnson’s voice instantly, despite years of separation.

I climbed the stairs out of the basement in exasperation, sprinted towards the front door, grabbed the door knob, twisted it around and opened the door.

Bright sunlight streamed in and I squinted my eyes to refocus them.

And there, standing outside the door was Uncle Johnson, who haven’t aged one bit.

He gave me a big smile.

——————————————————————-

This story is written in a first-person perspective.

Why did I write this story? 

Well, I want to describe the close relations between a child and an old man where the latter serves as a mentor and coach to the former – and how the old can guide and teach the young.

What do I want readers to take away from this story?

I want to focus and emphasise on the importance of tolerance as the essential quality which lies at the core of life’s successes. And I like readers to learn and practice tolerance in real life.

How would I want my story to reach out to readers?

I have deployed the use of dialogues and content which require inner introspection through a narrative structure.

In my next post, we will discuss the importance of “WHERE” in story-writing.

Stay tuned.

Success factors of Storytelling (Part 3): Exploring the “HOW”

This is the third instalment of the “Success Factors of Storytelling” series. You can find the first and second instalment here and here, respectively.

We have explored the reasons for writing the story and analysed the elements that readers find interesting when reading stories. In this article, we are going to explore the following questions:

HOW would I want my story to reach out to my readers?

For this questions, there are several factors that a writer needs to consider:

• Genres: First and foremost, we have to look at the genres, just like films.  As writers, we need to decide on the genres first. This is because genres set the mood, which is the next element we will discuss. But before then, let’s look at how the types of genres determine the story development. While as writers, we may often frown on stereotyping stories in the same way that people are stereotyped, it ‘s unavoidable to avoid all forms of stereotyping.  If it’s a mystery thriller, the story cannot be too light-hearted, unless we want to add comical elements into the story, like “Monk” the TV series, where humour is injected intermittently to spice up the drama. Similarly, we do not see much action or thrilling scenes in romance novel, because it doesn’t fit the expectations of the readers. All of us have expectations about what to expect from a story or a film after reading a synopsis or watching a trailer (although we shouldn’t!). Come to think of it, writing a novel that switches genre midway during the story is interesting, such as the film “Rec“, which switches from a documentary film into a horror visual feast midway through the film.

• Mood: After selecting the genre, a writer would need to select the mood for the story. The mood of the story will probably fluctuate if we choose to chart them out but on the whole, the mood level varies accordingly to the genres that we choose. For example, a romantic comedy will most probably infuse more humour into the story than say, a horror tale of eight strangers stranded in a motel along a quiet highway. Although we have lesser control over the mood of the story than we often imagine, there’s still a certain degree of control that we have over them. For example, we can add conflicts and altercations into a romantic comedy where tensions run high as the couple rides the highs and downs of emotional turmoil and upheavals of a romantic relationships and/or marriage.

• Narrative, descriptive or brief:  A narrative, descriptive and brief story formats are very different, although some of us would feel that they are the same. Most stories strike a balance between the three, although there are some where one or two of the three may take up a substantial portion of the story. Consider Agatha Christie‘s mystery novels. It’s a mix of narrative and descriptive style, with the former having a higher proportion as dialogue is the main engine that drives the interrogation processes, which in turn thrust the story forward to an often interesting and satisfying conclusion. “The Lord of the Rings”  is a novel which is filled with detailed descriptions of places, such as Middle Earth, interspersed with dialogues between the various characters. Incidentally, the trilogy also plots a man’s journey from adolescence to adulthood, a concept popularised by Joseph Campbell in his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces“. Brief stories refer to novels with numerous short chapters of 2-8 pages each. There are writers who adopt such writing style in recent years, specifically in thriller and suspense novel and the more popular ones include James Patterson and Dean Koontz.

• Length of story: In composition writing, writers have minimal control over how much details they are able to put in but then again, they are still able to control the length of the story by controlling and determining the plot. With short writing, writers need to know how much they have to say and how. If they have much to say, they would have to use descriptive paragraph and if they have not much to say, dialogues may be a better tool to move the story forward.  For novel writing,  there are more leeway and control for writers. Regardless of the type of story-writing involved, a writer should have a basic idea of the length of story and how it’s going to end. It need not be concrete and writers can and should improvise along the way. Nevertheless, a good grasp of how the story should develop is important in creating and crafting a great tale in the initial stages.

• Pace of story: Besides the length of the story, the pacing of the story is also important. Although we are individuals of habit, it is human nature to love variety. And a shift in story pacing is important to sustain readers’ interest in the continual development of the story. Adding a cliff-hanger at the end of each chapters also helps in building excitement and suspense for the story. For cliff-hangers, the varieties are endless. For composition or short story writing, the pace can be controlled through a calculated and measured use of paragraphing and dialogue.  The opening paragraph of a story is an important tool to start the pace of the story and writers should be discerning in creating this. Starting the story with an ongoing dialogue and beginning the first paragraph with the narrow escape of an individual all serve to interest and sustain the reader’s interest in the story.

The elements above are a few important tools that writers can use to develop the structure of the story and interest the readers. There are many more literary devices that writers can use.  Mastering the above elements first will enable anyone to be a proficient writer. As one reads and writes more, one will gain the experiences to be a prolific writer over time.

As writers, we need to be patient. Writing skills are developed over time. Understand what readers are looking for and how , as writers, we are able to deliver our stories in words to them. It is an art form that  - over time and with consistent practice – we will definitely master.

Success factors of Storytelling (Part 2): Exploring the “WHAT”

This post continues from the previous post, which can be read here.

While the first post investigates the “why” of storytelling, this post touches on the “what”. However, even this is too wide a subject area to be covered in a single post. Hence, we are going to zoom in on this specific question:

WHAT do I want readers to take away by reading this story?

Understanding the reason for writing the story establishes the scaffolding for continuing and completing the story but writing – as in all if not most forms of writing – goes both ways. Readers would often ask the “what’s in it for me?” question. In the same way that one would question the need to attend a particular speaking seminar or to take the time to participate in a lesson on children education,  readers will also ponder on the necessity to read a story – and this is even more so if it is a novel.

A writer might think that their readers will be happy just by merely reading a story. But in current times, there are tons of titles and countless stories to choose from. So, why should it be our stories?  What is the special attractions of our stories? Each author has their own unique strengths in creating a powerful story.

What is yours?

Just to provide a few examples. I was enthralled when I read “My Sister’s Keeper” by writer Judi Picoult - because her stories often do not only show the readers what the story is about, they also ask the readers very interesting questions about dilemma and life. This is the essence of what makes her story shine.  I was equally mesmerised by “Warrior of the Light: A Manual” by Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian writer who has his works translated into so many languages that one will have to select “English” so as to access his official website. Coelho’s writing strength lies in this ability to narrate very educational and insightful stories with a dose of spirituality that leaves the reader enlightened with life’s wisdom.

In Asia, a Japanese writer by the name of Haruki Murakami rose into prominence with “Norwegian Wood” and “After Dark“, both of which are among his more popular titles. He has mastered an ability to turn artistic cinematic flicks into literary words, transforming what the movie medium wants to tell us into art house literature – thereby giving readers a feel of the cinematic reel without being in the theatre itself. This ability of his is matched by few and herein lies his forte.  And Terry Brooks is a great fantasy writer whom I have come across during my primary school days. His novel “The Sword of Shannara“was the first novel I have read and it was this title that brought me into the world of fantasy. A strong ability to characterise heroes and villains enabled Terry Brooks to be one of the most popular fantasy writers around.  “Watchers” by Dean Koontz  was the book that brought me into adult fiction, and he has the ability to bring his characters to life through unusual story twists and almost unrivaled suspense.

So, what are the ingredients that attract readers other than the story content itself?

For story writing, readers are attracted by various elements in the stories and they are summarised as follows:

1. Values: This is one of the most important things that readers would usually want to take away from the stories they read. Values usually go both ways. The protagonist advocates the positive values while the villains promote the negative ones. However, a great story will portray the various characters with some flaws, thereby making them more human and easier to relate with. Look at fairy tales titles such as Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Most of them carries with them certain values that readers can learn from. Writers should ensure that the same goes for their  stories. You can ask yourself this question. What makes Lord of the Rings such a classic hit years after the book has been written? What has its author Tolkien done that makes his tale such a memorable one – that even a movie trilogy has been made based on its content?

2.  Communication skills:  A commonly overlooked area is communication skills. This is where the use of conversations are put to great use by writers to personalise and characterise the characters in the story. Many communication skills can be learnt through conversations in the story. Thus, readers should put in a great amount of effort in choosing the time and content to insert conversations into the story. A careless insertion of conversations into a story will make it less interesting while a strategic insertion of conversations into the story will turn a mediocre tale into a lively one. It is challenging to determine where and when to insert a specific conversation into a story as this skill can only be mastered through consistent reading of other writers’ works, as well as continuous writing practices on the part of the writer.

3. Self-reflection: One of the unique talents that seems to be found among great writers is the ability to enable readers to self-reflect not only when they have finished reading the story but also, when they are reading the stories. And to do this, writers have to master not only strong observation skills of everyday happenings and integrating them into the story, they should also have an in-depth understanding of psychology, intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences, as well as the ability to ask the right questions (which are usually not directed at the readers but the questions usually materialise in the form of inner thoughts within the readers’ minds).  Self- reflection can take place at any place in the stories – when the character faces strong doubts in their lives, when they encounter a challenge, when they question life, and when their inner thoughts are portrayed in words.

4. Learning lessons to be applied in real life:  Unlike some who feel that fictional stories – like movies – are meant to be regarded as a form of escapism, stories are in fact portals and channels which allow readers to delve themselves in, thereby gaining the experiences and insights that are useful to be applied in real life. If a writer is able to enable readers to see themselves in the story and whose stories resonate strongly with the readers, he or she is a great writer. Solutions can be found in stories – and usually in an unintentional manner. We can learn much from stories , and because we usually find lessons in stories by chance, we learn them in a more relaxed manner than a deliberate search for answers in non-fiction titles. And it’s often this experience of falling in love with the characters and understanding ourselves through them that we discover aspects of ourselves that we have not realised before.

These are the four main types of elements that distinguish a great writer from an average one. While the four elements are simple to understand, it’s challenging to apply them strategically to maximise the emotional impact of your story. Consistent practice in writing is key. Nevertheless, a basic awareness of these elements are necessary to establish a strong base on which your journey towards excellent writing can begin.

Begin your writing journey now, as we continue to explore the “HOW” of writing in our next post.

Success factors of Storytelling (PART 1): Start with the “WHY”

The art of storytelling is not new.

But some do not understand why storytelling is necessary when reporting the mere facts of something will do. We see this happening all the time, especially in email correspondences in the workplace. As work pace increases, there is greater need for information to be concise, precise, succinct and brief – so everything else is cut off except for the cold, hard facts. However, this also means that all emotions – including positive ones – are cut off too. There are some who will even advise on eliminating all kinds of formality, such as “Good day”, “Have a nice day” etc. Saving one’s time and effort are the reasons for the advice. But unknown to them, emotional detachment and loss of interpersonal rapport with others are the price we pay. Taking some time to tell others the reasons (which is the “why”) for requesting or doing something may at times be time-consuming and tedious but what one gets back in return is mutual understanding and respect. And when the “why” is complemented with a narrative story when time permits, the positive emotional impact on others can be extremely powerful and at times – life-changing.

Similarly, when parents educate their children, they are often direct and to the point. “Do not watch TV while eating”, “be quiet when you are studying”, “do not come home late tonight” and “greet your elders” are some of the basic social etiquette that are commonly taught to the kids. However, because the children do not understand the “whys” behind the “hows”, they often refuse to obey or find the rules too ridiculous to even abide by them. “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” is a great read to inspire oneself to explore and understand why the understanding and acceptance of the “why” behind our every actions in all aspects of our lives are important. We should question if every aspect of our inner motivation for doing things are positive for others and to do so, we need to investigate the “why” of our everyday lives. More importantly, we should encourage and motivate a child to explore the “whys” of his or her every action. And using stories is among the best ways to achieve this.

The same goes for short story or novel writing. Why would reader want to read a short story or novel? What would attract reader to a story? What elements of a story would readers be interested in? Other than the first question, we will address the second and third questions in subsequent posts.

A lot of writers commit the fallacy of engaging the “what” instead of the “why” first – unaware of the fact that it’s the “why” that precedes the “what”. If the readers do not understand the reason for reading the story, why would they be interested in the types of literary devices used in constructing the story? Think about this.

Therefore, to start a story, all writers should ask themselves this questions before penning the story, starting with the “why” before progressing to the “who”, ‘what”, “when”, “where” and “how”:

WHY would I want to write this story? 

WHAT do I want readers to take away by reading this story?

HOW would I want my story to reach out to my readers?

WHERE would the setting in which the story takes place be in?

WHO would be great characters to include in the story?  

WHEN would be a great time period to set the stage for the story?

Out of the six questions above, the first question is the most important. Answering the first question will not only provide one with the intrinsic motivation to continue writing the story, it will also establish a basic reference point for one to refer back consistently when writing the story.

So, the “why” should be connected with an inner aspect of a writer, emanating from his or her inner essence and through this connection, what resides in the inner psyche should in turn manifest externally in the form of stories. All great stories in the world probably originate from this source.

What great stories do you have to tell the world?

Personal Recount Writing #3

Starting a story in the middle of an action is a great way to create suspense and to keep the readers guessing on what is coming next. Of course, the suspense cannot be suspended forever but the trick is to control the pace at which the scene is played out. Beginning right in the thick of the action may be interpreted as creating adrenaline-pumped action and excitement.

However, this is not always the case.

Starting a scene with  a meaningful conversation is equally impactful, as the story below will attest to.

Subtlety has its impact.

An Epiphany

“You will have to believe me. Jane is special.”

“Oh yeah? In what way? “

“She has seen much of life and she’s bubbly.”

“So?”

“I figure you would want to be her friend.”

“You mean she wants to be my friend.”

“Whatever. So, do you want to meet up with her along with the rest of us? We are all going to attend Frank’s party this Saturday. She will be there.”

“Let me think about it.”

“You won’t regret this.”

My conversation with Steve has always been direct and well, blunt – at times. But Steve always takes it well, which probably explains why we have always been the best of friends throughout all these years. Great friendships always survive taunts and teases. And thanks to this conversation, I got to know Jane, a very special friend who changed my life – for the better, of course.  I am grateful to Steve as well,  for without him, Jane and I would never have met.

Jane didn’t give me a great impression when I was first introduced to her in person at Frank’s birthday bash though. “Bespectacled”,” girl-next-door” and “friendly”. That’s the three words that I would describe her. The only three words. Yes, she was bubbly. And not in a talkative kind of way, which kind of impressed me. But seen much of life? I doubt it then.

Nevertheless, her maturity began to shine through when we engaged in conversations. You know, some people have said that inner beauty is usually felt but not seen?  I have discovered this statement to be a fact on the day I met Jane. She surely knew how to engage someone in a conversation. I was never tired of her narration on her adventures in Nepal, or her misadventures in India, or her escapades in Phuket.  Her magic was in having others listen to her, and occasionally enquiring about them and their interests. She balanced the art of speaking and listening very well, and it has really been some time since I have felt that I have found a soul mate.

Pessimism has always been my constant companion for most of my life and I never seem to be able to shake it off. But Jane came into my life and showed me that it is possible to imbue our lives with optimism and hope. Besides inspiring me, she has also taught me how to put a smile on other people’s face – by putting one on our faces first. Much can be said about her personality but the last conversation we had before we part ways after the party was the most memorable – and which I remember till this day.

“You are a great friend.” I told Jane.

“What makes you say that?” she asked.

“I can tell.”

“How do you do that?”

“No, not do. Feel with your heart. That’s how you know someone better.”

“You are a great friend too.”

“How do you know?”

“Well, that’s for you to find out.”

This suspense that she has created for me has sustained our friendship for years. Although  I have never managed to understand Jane completely till today, my attempts to do so has enabled me to learn social skills which I would never have learnt if not for Jane.

She has made me see life in a new light – only when we try to understand others can we truly communicate well with them.

And for this lesson from Jane, I am truly grateful.

Personal Recount Writing #2

Writing a story is best accompanied by an underlying emotional element. This can usually be achieved with a seasoned writing style, coupled with an in-depth understanding of psychology and human nature. 

The following story uses a first-person perspective where the writer is reunited with a long-lost friend through an accident:

The Unexpected Reunion

Fate is an unfathomable entity that seems to linger within the streams of mankind, akin to an elusive butterfly who often chooses to evade the attention of humans but gently lands on the shoulder of the one who is spiritually enlightened – who allows events to flow unimpeded by any personal resistance or friction of any kind. Serendipitous moments soon follows, linking one moment to another, and ultimately resulting in an outcome within the anticipation and expectations of the blessed.

I was not a firm believer of fate but all this changed on the Christmas evening of 2008…

Christmas decorations lined the streets of New Age Town. White, blue and pink are the colours of the night this festive season. Sparkling bulbs dazzled pedestrians doing last-minute shopping as a Santa Claus posed with a boy for a photo, before passing him a gift from the “gift” sack that he is carrying. Smiling at Santa Claus gratefully, the boy ran back to his parents who were taking the shot and all of them waved farewell to Santa Claus as the latter continued his way along the streets, handling gifts to every children that he met.

People thronged the roads and streets that night, as the ambiance was mesmerising and nostalgic, seemingly reminding one of the days long gone, where  New Age Town is seen in a different light and people were more friendly. Technological advancement and consumerism has taken its toll on the people, and the lack of interpersonal communications is the first casualty.

This was a night not to be missed and this was one of the primary reasons why I was in town for the night. Packing a Canon 60D, I am a freelance photographer on assignment to do a photo shoot for an advertising company to capture the mood of Christmas. I have always loved photography and I felt that it was such a blessing to turn a hobby into a profession, a luxury available only to the privileged few.

Just as I have just lowered myself to capture a shot of a mannequin outside a shopping mall, there was a scream behind me which made me pulled back, and I turned towards the origin of the noise.

Then I saw it.

A man in his twenties has just robbed  a female shopper and was now turning the corner in a bid to escape capture. Swinging my Canon 60D into action, I immediately selected the “Sports” mode (as it has the function of capturing several frames within a short time), and press the shutter button without releasing. Just as the robber ran past me, he saw me , took something out of his coat and threw them at me. I ran for cover but soon realised that it was coins that he was throwing at me, probably to make me duck for cover and hoping that in doing so, I would fail to capture his facial features using my camera.

Duck, I did. But not before snapping 3-4 shots of the robber. Knowing that he couldn’t stop me in front of all the people, the robber continued running. When the police came, I went forward to give my statements.

In the midst of the questioning session, I happened to steal a glimpse at the victim, and got a pleasant surprise. It was Sarah!  We have not met since we left primary school. I have brought a notebook on the last day of school to collect the contact details of my classmates. I have managed to jot down all the contact details of my friends except for Sarah, who didn’t turn up for school because she was unwell that day.

And you know what is the most amazing thing? Sarah remembers me. She gave me a smile before walking over. It was funny how we recognised each other although we have not seen each other for thirty years.

“How have you been?”

“Hi Sarah,” I grinned. “It’s been a while.”

And that reply is enough. Both of us laughed and much was said in silence.

“May I have your contact?” I asked.

And that’s how I complete the list of contact of my primary school friends – thirty years later.

Sometimes, we can’t find what we are looking for. Because somehow, what or who we are looking for will come looking for us in the most unexpected moments.

And this is what makes life beautiful.

Personal Recount Writing #1: Analysis

This article is an analysis of the personal recount writing in my previous post (“A Daring Venture”). You can either view the previous post directly below or you can click here.

It will be great if you are able to read the short story first before reading further in order to have a better understand of how literary devices work in narrative writing.

For this post, I will like to highlight three primary elements that make this story stands out on its own:

Human nature: Non-fiction writing can allow technicalities to take precedence and overrides the need to emphasise human values but a great fictional or personal recount story cannot overlook the important and influential role that human nature plays in a narrative.

Values such as respect, love, betrayal, disappointment, happiness, sadness and the multitude of human emotions are great literary elements that relate and bind people together through stories. Think  Shakespeare.  Narratives are meant to soothe the heart more than stimulate the mind. Leave non-fiction writing for the latter.

Intersection of time: If you have read the story “A Daring Venture“, you would have realised that the story moves among the past, present and future. In addition, the movement is not linear but sporadic. This has the effect of attracting the readers into the core of the story through the movement of time. However, the narrative must move in such a way that the past, present and future merge into one seamless flow.  This cannot be taught literally but can be learnt through consistent and continuous writing exercises.

The trade off is that much effort has to be put in to ensure that the right tenses are used and this usually is challenging to achieve under tight time constraints.    Should students choose to adopt this form of writing, intensive practices and guidance are required prior to mastery of this writing style. However, once this skill is mastered, it will enable students to maintain consistency of tenses for all if not most forms of writing.

Psychological elements: These elements relates closely to human nature but what sets them apart is the fact that while human nature talks about qualities and values, psychological elements may take the form of literary advice (as in the case for this story where snippets of page extracts are used as guiding devices for the author), a motif  (such as the use of a doll whose photos are taken in various countries with it sitting on a bench, signifying change or mobility),  the deep, inner thoughts of the writer, and many more.

Psychological elements are wider in scope and hence easier to use and elaborate than those espoused by human nature, which tends to be more intangible and requires the use of scenarios and scenes to bring out their essence.

As we explore more writings in the near future, I will provide more literary tools for you to explore and use in your writings.

Stay tuned.

Personal Recount Writing #1

Out of the various writing genres, personal recount writing (that is, writing that uses the first-person perspective using the pronoun “I”) is – more often than not – the more interesting writing style. While the story may be contained or even confined within the psyche and understanding of the main protagonist who is the writer, the personal narrative adds a personal touch to the story seldom seen in other writing styles.

Below is a piece of writing which I will like to share with all of you. I hope that you enjoy this.  In my next article, I will provide some insights on the ways that this writing works in terms of literary writing devices and the style that the writing is structured.

Topic:

A Daring Venture

I am an introvert by nature.

I like solitude and I love staying in my room reading books or listening to Jazz or New Age music. I get to have a world of my own without the intrusion of others. I relish the moments of insights as I agree with the thoughts of an author or meditate under the tune of soft music. Yes, this is my world – and I am loving it.

However, there is a hefty price that I pay.

My social circle is small, as I do not socialise often. My friends do not know me well, as I did not put in the effort to know them well.  I do not get invited to parties often because I almost always turn down every invites that I receive. I do not know how to communicate as I only communicate with myself in my head.

And then, one day, everything changed.

Or rather, you can say that a book that I have read changed everything.

I can still recall the title of the book vividly despite all these years.  The title is “How to have a chance encounter that will change your life”. When I first set my eyes on the title in the library prior to borrowing it, I thought the title was plain, simple and almost self-explanatory. I did not know what attracted me to the book but somehow, I was mesmerised by it.  I did not know what effects the content of the book would have on me but I loved it anyway. Psychology is never my forte but still, the title held my interest.

Perhaps this is preordained. I do not know.

I have a strange feeling about this book. As mentioned, I am not new to books. I have read books of almost every topic available but most merely increase my knowledge.

This title is different. It mesmerised me like never before.

I placed the book on the table and flipped to the first page:

“Observation skills are not only to be learnt but to be practised. You must act on what you have learnt. Then the skills you learn will change your life – forever. “

The sentence stared back at me and I felt a sense of anticipation.

Change my life? How is that possible?

I began to read the first paragraph.

“Perception wraps reality. We are trapped by our mental conceptions until we free ourselves from them by observing reality and understanding the formation of perceptions through them. And being observant is the bridge joining the two…..“

From that day on, I began to practise my observation skills.  And I began to notice things I have never noted before – the type of clothes that others wear, the colour of the tie that matches a shirt, the different type of greeting gestures that others display, the various types of smiles that either reveal or hide emotions. And through these, I began to map out the various perceptions I have of them, as well as having a good gauge of the perceptions held by them. In other words, I began to understand the worlds of others and how my world relates to theirs. Over time, I began to connect with them psychologically, but not in a interpersonal kind of way, if you know what I mean.

Then one day, it happened.

I was sitting on a seat in a train when I noticed that a lady dressed in a yellow dress was seated across from me. She is in her early twenties. Her yellow dress was prominent but that was not what attracted my attention.  Rather,  it’s the ruby necklace she wore that was interesting. I have seen that necklace before, at a jewellery store. It was from Paris, France. I always have an interest in stones, and ruby is among them.

“Observe aspects of others carefully. What stands out is the obvious. But it’s the similarity that connects.” 

I am beginning to understand this sentence.

The lady suddenly noticed me looking at her and she returned the gaze, smiling while doing so. It was awkward to have somebody looking at me with interest as that has not happened to me for quite a while.

But the distance between us was far. There are many passengers standing and moving along in the train and our eye contact is constantly being cut intermittently by the passing bodies. I noticed that she has the tendency to look away and then back at me again, as if we are caught in a game of hide-and-seek.  It was not long before I did the same. The passing crowd between us becomes our hiding posts and for a while, we indulged in a match of peekaboo.

“Instant and continuous connection is fleeting. Intermittent communication with silences and absence in-between is key to sustaining a resilient relationship. We need to give each other space to rejuvenate and to recharge. Observe this in your interactions with others. “

True to its words, our switching attention from the moving crowd to ourselves are – in a strange way – sustaining our continued interest in each other. But still, none of us make a move to go forward and start a conversation.

“A connection is not deliberate. A connection just happens. There are people whom we are meant to meet in this life but we have to notice them through our astute observation if we are to really meet them. Placing your eyes on the pages of your book won’t do. Closing your eyes and listening to the music blasting out of your earphones is worse. Open your eyes and look around. See who is attracted to you and why you are sustaining their attention. That is the point.“

As the train neared my stop, I stood up sadly and headed for the exit door to her right. How many times have I brushed shoulders with someone whom I have a connection with but never have the opportunity to connect? It’s uncountable. I sighed with disappointment with my eyes glazed over and looking at my own reflection in the glass panel in front of me.  And then the image of the lady appeared behind my left shoulder, looking at me and smiling.

I smiled back.

“No matter how great is the possibility of an encounter, there will come a point where you have to initiate contact. Shyness will impede you at this stage. Hesitation will destroy your courage.  Fear will draw you back.  Only confidence and a desire to know someone new will push you forward to take that initiative to start that life-changing conversation.”

“Hi!” I greeted her.

“”Hi!” She greeted back.

“I like that necklace of yours. I know where you have bought it.”

“Is that so? Haha! So, where did I buy it?”

“Well, is there a prize if I got it right?”

Both of us burst out laughing.

And the rest is history.

“Humour is the prescription for nervousness. A right dose of it at the right moment can work miracles for any new social interactions. The trick is to know what to say, how to say, how much to say and when to say it. “

Today, Jenny is my best friend and we still go out often. I am not sure if I can call these dates but for now, I know that if I had not put in the effort to read the book, I would never have found a soul mate.

“When you have known somebody through a chance encounter on your own initiative, you know you have the  power to widen your social circles and create change in your life.

And when you have done it once, you know – deeply in your heart – that you can always do it again.”