Are You Using the 5 C’s of Great Storytelling?

Successful writers will tell you there are always certain components to a successful story. They will also tell you that rules are made to be broken. That means it won't necessarily be a flop if your story doesn't have the components we're about to discuss. You can still tell great stories if you miss one or two of the following pieces. You're just making the job more difficult on yourself.

 

It would be best to have the following five C's in your story most of the time.

 

1. Circumstances
2. Conflict
3. Crisis
4. Climax
5. Conclusion

 

To paint a clear picture, let's use the Cinderella fairytale.

 

Cinderella has a pitiful life with her evil stepsisters and stepmother, who constantly harass her. She receives an invitation to the royal ball. Alas, she has nothing to wear and no way to get to the ball. Her fairy godmother appears and supplies her with a dress and a coach to transport her. 

 

Cinderella is told she must be back home before midnight. She goes to the ball, the Prince falls in love with her, then midnight strikes, and she's back to her less-than-enviable life. She loses a shoe at the ball, and the Prince finds it. He tries it on the feet of the women in his kingdom and eventually finds Cinderella. They live happily ever after.

 

Circumstances

 

Cinderella has a difficult life cleaning for her stepmother and stepsisters, and they constantly bully and mistreat her.

 

Conflict

 

She is ecstatic that she received an invitation to the royal ball but has nothing to wear. And if she did have a suitable gown, how would she get to the ball?

 

Crisis

 

She's having the time of her life but has to leave the Prince before midnight strikes, and he discovers who she really is.

 

Climax

 

The Prince finds her, and she once again has hopes for a great life.

 

Conclusion

 

They live happily ever after.

 

As you can see, if you had those five components figured out, then you would only need to flesh out the story. If you can create your five C's before you begin writing your story, filling in the blanks is simple. You're providing yourself an outline that's been proven to engage your audience and compel them to keep on reading. Use the five C's of crafting a story, and your storytelling ability will grow.

Great Storytellers Always Have a Clear and Defined Message

When you finish a great book, you know what happened. That might sound silly, but not all books do this. When preparing speeches or attempting to write the next great novel, they don't always stick to a main message, lesson, or theme. They try to include too much.

 

Better stories start out with a definite idea in mind. You know what you're moving towards. You have an idea; even if you don't know how your story will end, you know where it's heading.

 

This is true of fiction, nonfiction, stories that teach morals, and humorous content. You want to be crystal clear on the central theme. You want your plot to be evident, and once your story kicks into high gear, it shouldn't move from its focus.

 

Learn This Lesson from "The Old Man and the Sea"

 

Ernest Hemingway's short novel, "The Old Man and the Sea," was his last major work of fiction. It was published in 1952, earning him the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Some claim it to be the legendary author's most important work, and if you want a lesson in great storytelling, definitely read it.

 

It works partly because it never wavers from a simple but clearly defined plot. It's not confusing. There isn't a lot going on. There are only two main human characters and a third important character, an 18-foot-blue marlin. That's it. Other characters make very small appearances, but basically, these three characters are the entire book.

 

The basic plot of the story is clear and simple. An old fisherman who hasn't caught anything worthwhile in a long time struggles to catch a Marlin of massive proportions. He battles the fish, weather, sharks, and cuts to his hand but never gives up.

 

That's the story's basic plot- and Hemingway sticks to it. 

 

Keep Your Plot Simple and Clear

 

The message or lesson of the story is that if you want to accomplish something, you should never give up, no matter what gets in your way. The plot is also simple and crystal-clear. You have a fisherman in a boat and a fish he's trying to catch. That's the gist of it. 

 

Getting into the story is easy because you aren't distracted by unnecessary characters and subplots. Remember, you'll tell better stories with a clearly defined and simple plot that your readers can easily follow.