Storytelling has been a part of us right from when we were born. Storytelling is simply ‘telling a story’. Stories can be told verbally or non-verbal or a combination of both. Verbal stories involve words. Non-verbal includes actions, which can be done in motion or via art.
We are all storytellers because we simply tell stories every day. But the question is, since we are all storytellers, why is it that some stories are more interesting when told by some people? The reason is simply that just like leadership, storytelling is an art that must be learned. Just as Chess thrives on strategy and calculated steps, so does storytelling. It is a strategic craft. It is a difficult one too. It involves the use of suspense, characters, setting, dialogue, conflict, suspension of disbelief, 3-act structure, etc. And all these must be added in the right measure.
The 3-Act Structure
The 3-act structure is what forms the basis of storytelling. The acts are:
Act 1 – introduction or exposition. This is often called the setup and this is where the story is formed. In this act, we understand who the protagonist and antagonist(s) are. We get to have a mental picture of what world the story is set in and we know the motives and what drives the characters. It is in this first act that we often fall in love with the protagonist and begin to dislike the antagonist.
Act 2 – the confrontation. Also called the rising action or climax. It can be difficult to write because if you are not careful, you will lose your audience here. The second act begins right after the character gets into a fix and it is too late to turn back. Of course, if the protagonist turns back then the story ends. However, here we see both the protagonist and antagonist aim towards their goals. This is also where the protagonist comes across several obstacles and often has the first encounter with the antagonists.
Also, in some cases, the protagonist either confronts the protagonist or an obstacle and fails. This leads to the protagonist having a change of plan which leads to a subplot. This is glaring in Infinity Wars where the heroes have the first face-off with Thanos and are unable to defeat him and so return to the drawing table. Please note that every move the protagonist makes here either leads to a trap or a confrontation with the antagonist who may have the upper hand again.
Act 3- Falling action. This is also called the resolution or denouement or anticlimax. This is where all conflict is resolved and the protagonist rides into the sunset. This is where is the antagonist is defeated and the protagonist achieves his or her aim.
Read – Creative Writing – An Introduction by Marita Banda, Zambia
Conflict
Conflict serves the role of an elixir in your story. There are various types of conflict. Notably are:
- Man vs self
- Man vs nature
- Man vs man
- Man vs technology
- Man vs fate (supernatural)
- Man vs Society
One or two, or even more of these conflicts can be present in storytelling.
Suspension of Disbelief
Suspension of disbelief is the willing suspension of disbelief that leads to the justification of the use of unrealistic elements in literature. A universal example of the non-realistic is when you say a baby arrived on earth in a ship from one planet call Krypton and became a superman. The same is seen in Black Panther where we are made to believe that there is such a beautiful place as Wakanda land and there is an African superhero who saves some people from terrorists. These were told in art books to children. But theatres are full of adults when there is a release because the adults have willingly suspended their disbelief that one man can lift a car with one hand. If there was no willingness to suspend disbelief, people would be busy screaming… This is unrealistic!
Suspension of disbelief is necessary for the audience appreciation of a story. Unfortunately, the burden to suspend disbelief lies more on the audience than on the writer. The writer may try hard but it is the audience that would ultimately decide on whether to willingly suspend it or not. To make the readers suspend disbelief, you have to write fully formed characters and have the audience invest their emotions in the story.
For example, regarding Superman, add Grandparents whom he loves, add a babe that he likes, shroud him in a double identity, give him an everyday job, etc. All these would make people willingly suspend disbelief unlike if he just arrived on Earth and started flying from Nairobi to Addis Ababa.
Character Development
One component that can really make or break the story is the character. The reason is that even if you have a compelling story and the lead character is bad or flat or even one dimensional, your story will be easily forgettable and uninteresting. In the same vein, if your lead character is compelling, your audience will remain engaged even if the pacing of your story is slow.
There are several things to note when developing your character. It is like a checklist that you can resort to before and while writing your story. Please keep this handy.
Character Functions
Each character has a minimum of one function or role in your story. This function is what makes your story interesting. Such functions include but are not limited to:
- protagonist
- antagonist
- best friend
- love interest
- confidante
- partner
- catalyst
- mentor
- comic relief
Character Emotions
In storytelling, there are basically 3 character emotions that the audience can relate with. They are:
- Sympathy – This is when the readers identify with the character’s problems, challenges, and successes.
- Empathy – This is when the reader has an understanding of the emotions that drive the character.
- Antipathy – Here, the readers want the character to get what is deserved.
Character emotions are important because they allow readers to have an emotional connection with the story.
Character Components
These are what shapes each character. They are:
- a) Interior – things that form character
- b) Exterior – things that reveal the character
These go hand in hand to make sure your is character developed. The character must appear to be thinking and acting based on thoughts and actions.
Character Background
Your character must have a background in order to be better understood. To ensure that you have a decent character background, you need to ask some of the following questions:
- where is the character from?
- what does the character want?
- what does the character say about himself?
Objectives
There can only be one main objective. The simpler the objective, the better. Objectives are as a result of the feelings of the character. When coming up with character objectives, ask yourself: what do each Character want in this story? It is called cause and effect. Every character MUST want something otherwise the character is a waste of story.
Also, although the protagonist may have a main objective, he or she could have smaller objectives that form part of the subplot. An example of this is when the protagonist wants the hand of a female in marriage but must embark on a mission to a distant land to retrieve a black cock with only one white feather on the forehead. This is a smaller objective but links into the main objective of marriage.
Lastly
Before you go ahead to write and tell stories, you have to, first of all, ask yourself the question, ‘why do I want to be a storyteller?’ is it to impress or to express? Is it to make money or to cause a behavioural change? Is it to brag to the world that you can weave words into sweet tales, or to give ideas that could lead to societal development? Whatever your reason is, make it worth your while. But in all, never stop writing.
Anthony Onugba
is a Nigerian born author of six books. These include Amanda’s Crime, The Chronicle of Christ, Reflections, and Mixed emotions. He has lots of manuscripts that he has decided never to publish – for reasons even he does not know – and he is also a scriptwriter and studied film production and directing for film.
Anthony is the creator of Writers Space Africa. He is also the founder of the African Writers Development Trust. He is the brain behind the annual African Writers Conference and African Writers Awards.
Anthony is certified in Project Management and IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL). He is also a consultant to Non-Governmental Organizations and a facilitator at various workshops on conflict management and prevention, leadership, creative writing, and film.
Currently, Anthony serves as the Executive Director of the African Writers Development Trust. He resides in Nigeria and loves to talk with animals, walk under the rain, sip chai, play video games, and gaze at the stars.
