What Form Should Your Story Take?
Last month, I moderated a panel of local authors at Palo Alto Rinconada Library’s inaugural book fair. The panel featured authors who tell their stories in a wide range of formats, including poetry, comics, nonfiction, and novels. It was a challenge to find a topic that united all the authors, and I landed on “The Shape of a Story: How Writers Choose the Right Form.” Together, we explored one of the biggest questions an author must answer when planning their story: what form is this story meant to take?
There are so many exciting ways to express a story idea. The constraints and freedoms of each vessel give shape to the meaning, focus, and impact your story has on readers.
- Screen and playwriting communicate through dialogue and action
- Poetry plays with concise language to compose beauty and emotion
- Comics and graphic novels combine pictures and words for an immersive experience
- And length matters too; a short story, novella, or novel each demands a different level of depth
Most of the panelists had a gut feeling about how they wanted to express their ideas, especially the poet and comic book artist. The artist knew she wanted to pair her illustrations with compact dialogue and description. The poet channeled her creativity into poetry. Like these authors, sometimes you know what feels right for your story. But when a story could go in several directions, be open to experimentation. Allow yourself to play with the idea and try expressing it in different forms until you find what works best.
For years, my default story form was short stories. I noted socially awkward situations and tasked my characters with navigating them. Wanting to lighten the tone of my writing, I took classes in sitcom screenwriting and sketch comedy writing. These classes took me out of writing detailed descriptions and shifted my focus to crafting dynamic dialogue that communicated beyond the words. I also learned story beats and narrative structure that could sustain a longer story. So when I was struck by a story idea that required world-building and a cast of characters, I realized writing it would mean writing a novel. This was both an exciting and daunting assignment, but I accepted it and am working my way through the process.
A key takeaway from both the panel and my own writing journey is this: when you learn to write in different forms, you gain tools you can carry into any story form. Writing dialogue full of subtext, descriptions that quickly evoke images, and scenes that hook you from the start all meld to tell a fascinating story, no matter which form you choose.
When starting a new story, authors don’t always realize how much the form they choose can shape the direction of the story itself.
In my story coaching sessions, I help authors discover the best way to tell their story, especially when an idea could go in several directions.
We explore questions like whether a story is best told as memoir or fiction, as a single narrative or as a collection, and which structure will support it most effectively.
I’d love to help you figure out how to tell your story in a clear and compelling way.
Book a free discovery call with me to start!