Elements of a Good Story

Short and Simple
The more you cut from your story, the better it will be. Period. It's not about how many words you use, but what words you use. Say more with less. Replace three paragraphs with three sentences. Don't write long stories, write short stories and put them together if you need something longer.

Be Specific Enough To Be Believable, Universal Enough To Be Relatable
The more specific and the more personal you get, the better your story will be. Aim for stories that happened to you, not people you heard about. Avoid stories that most people can't relate to. Find stories that have themes that most people can relate to.

Start and End With a Bang
You have thirty seconds to get their attention. Don't start a story with ten minutes of introductory material. I can't stand it when someone takes fifteen minutes preparing me for a story they are about to tell. Start with a bang and end with a bang. Don't hang around at the end driving your point to death. End the story and get out.

The Story's in the Details
It's in the characters and the descriptions, and describing things in a way that no one else has before. Use your senses. Show us the story instead of telling us about the story.

Make Characters Real, Interesting and Believable
I believe that it's not the plot that makes the story, but the people. Make your characters real - with personalities and quirks - and if you're at a loss, look around you. Real life has more material than you could ever hope to create in your own imagination.

Write and Tell Your Story As If You Are Talking To a Friend
You're not giving a news commentary, you're telling a story. So write it the way you speak. Make it comfortable. Make it easy to understand and follow.

Learn Your Story
Learn your story - every word. Then practice telling it as if you didn't memorize it. Learn the story in scenes. Write an outline and learn the outline. If you don't know your story well, then you run a big risk of filling in gaps with unnecessary information.

Bring Out the Best in People
Stay away from stories that scare or instill guilt. Don't take them to the depths of despair unless you really know what you are doing. They need to know that you are okay. Stay in control of your own emotions. When you get too emotional you run the risk of being perceived as manipulative.

Leave Them Feeling Hopeful
Audiences want stories with a happy ending. If you take them down, bring them back up again. Good grief, at least let this be one place where