What is a Story? Art and Craft.

A presenter at the writers conference I attended in June defined a story as "something that happens that results in a change." Merriam-Webster Online defines a story as "a chronological record of significant events, often including an explanation of their causes."

A literal interpretation of the presenter's definition can be: The black cocker spaniel was killed by a car many years ago ("something that happens"). His owner, Sam, then just a boy, never allowed himself to love another animal again ("the resulting change").

Now, if I apply a literal interpetation of MW's definition, I could expand those two sentences into a 300-page novel because I'm told that a story is a series of events and often tells why the events happened. It specifies that I can go on and on if I want.

I gave these two examples to illustrate how complex it is to explain what a story is, and how to tell one. I have numerous "how-to" writing guides and have taken a few fiction writing courses. Although helpful overall, I've received conflicting information on what constitutes the "right way" and when I've finished reading, still felt as though my thirst for practical writing strategies remained unquenched. I always have my eye out for a guide that could show me a new technique. I wandered into a bookstore one day recently and stumbled on The Art and Craft of Storytelling by Nancy Lamb, and I'm glad I did.



I'm halfway through it and I've learned more from this book than I've learned in any of my writing classes.

Lamb instructs readers how to disect their writing--how analyze it for its logic, meaning, character development, and transition. I emphasize transition because this is a problem I encounter in my fiction writing. Where does my chapter end? Will my reader want to continue to the next? Lamb provides checklists of questions to ask yourself about your story and your characters as you go along. I've found that answering them allows me to better acquaint myself with the people I've created: what do they want exactly?
Chapter 4-Structural Design, provides a list of questions for writers to answer at a scene's opening:

1. What is the logical sequel to this scene?
2. Have I planted the hook to pull the reader into the next scene?
3. How does this scene contribute to the large context of the book?
4. What has my hero done to move the story along?

This book is just what I needed, and some "roadblocks" have already been cleared because of it. I learned that I don't need a book to show me how to write, but one that makes me look at my writing through a different lens, a higher resolution. Sometimes that's all one needs--to be shown a better path to the same destination.

And so my journey to novel completion continues. Wish me luck.