What Makes a Good Story? 5 Pieces of Advice to Tell a Compelling Tale

There are many elements of a great story. Think about the stories that are your favorites and the ones you’ve seen once but have stuck with you over the years. Was it an urban legend? A novel so compelling you dressed up as the character for Halloween? Or a movie that is a must watch at least once-a-year?

A compelling story could be a one-minute anecdote or a TV series that goes on for decades. After all, isn’t The Simpsons a good story that has been going on for almost 40 years?

While what someone enjoys may differ from person-to-person, there are several factors that are undeniable in creating a great story. Here are 5 key elements that go into writing a screenplay that can become a story audiences will love.

Character is so important that without well-defined and powerful characters, you might as well not even tell the story. Do you remember what Raiders of the Lost Ark is about? Or do you remember Indiana Jones? You probably remember the fedora-wearing hero’s lines and action more than the plot of the movies.

Key takeaway: Character starts with motivation. What does that character want? Truly want? Like can’t live without?

The character might not even realize they can’t live without something until the story is already in motion. Woody from Toy Story is a perfect example. As the leader of Andy’s toys, Woody’s main priority was always being there for Andy. Everyone loved and trusted him, until Buzz Lightyear, the “Space Ranger,” arrived and turned his world upside down. With Buzz now taking Andy’s attention, Woody found himself pushed aside. The heart of Toy Story lies in Woody’s motivation to remain Andy’s favorite toy and to continue looking out for him.

Once upon a time it was critical for a protagonist to be likeable. If the audience didn’t like them, they wouldn’t root for them. That’s not true and never was.

Likeable doesn’t mean good. The anti-hero, think Tony Soprano, Walter White, Travis Bickle and Cruella, are not good people but great characters – that’s what audiences want. Viewers will just as likely root for the goody-goody Captain America as they will the murderous Joker.

Creating memorable characters begins with their motivation as well as external and internal conflict.

• What are their goals?
• What obstacles get in their way?
• What motivates them?

Key takeaway: The more dimensions you can give your character, the more the audience will go for the ride and enjoy the story.

The Joker in Dark Knight is not the protagonist, but the main obstacle that gets in Batman’s way of ensuring a safe and crime-free Gotham City. The Joker is a supporting character designed to challenge Bruce Wayne/Batman at every opportunity,

What’s Superman without Lois Lane and Lex Luthor? Or Clarice without Hannibal Lector?

“I love movies where there are opposing forces and they’re stronger than the hero, and the hero must succeed either by finding a way around or straight through,” Steven Spielberg said in a Far Out Magazine interview.

Key Takeaway: Remember that each supporting character has their own motivation, goals and desires that often challenge the hero.

What makes a good narrative is having the audience constantly wonder, “What next?”. These cliffhangers are what keeps viewers coming back when the TV show goes to commercial, or allows the streamer to send them to the next episode even when they should go to bed.

Good stories have their audiences wanting more, and keeps them in suspense. Why do you think any successful movie has a sequel coming right behind it? The market believes the audience wants to see the story continue.

Suspense is more than just sequels and what happens after the commercial break. Suspense goes from scene-to-scene, moment-to-moment.

Take the meet cute moment in any Hallmark Christmas movie. Everyone knows it will happen and everyone expects it to happen – but how will it happen? That’s the suspense in the scene that intrigues the viewer.

Think about how many times you were reading a novel and the chapter ends with a cliffhanger or something intriguing enough that you want to keep going.

Key Takeaway: Suspense is about holding attention.

What makes a good narrative? The beginning, middle and end must be clear, with protagonist introductions happening at the beginning, the rising action in the middle before the climax, and then the final resolution.

Even films like Pulp Fiction and Memento, which use non-linear storytelling, still follow a narrative structure in how their stories are ultimately told. Even the Bible begins with “In the beginning…” and, yes, it has a definitive conclusion.

As the story unfolds, the protagonist continues forward in an attempt to achieve their goal while characters and other obstacles stand in their way. This includes emotional stakes, which means consequences if the protagonist fails and what they must accomplish to reach the end of their journey.

Here are a few examples:

Moana. The title character has a calling to leave the island and venture into the water (beginning), embarking on a journey to find the heart of Tafiti (middle), and will either return to save the island or perish in the waters her father warned her about (ending).

State Farm. Even commercials can have strong narratives. Think about insurance commercials like State Farm. There is an accident or home damage (beginning), they need help and to make a claim (middle), like a good neighbor, State Farm is there (ending).

Friends. In the first episode of Friends, six New Yorkers establish relationships in various ways (beginning). Then, throughout 10 seasons they have a series of challenges, like the Rachel and Ross shenanigans, marriages, Janice, etc. (middle). And it all ends in the final season with some characters moving away, others finally getting together and life moving on.

Key Takeaway: Elements of a great story include a clear beginning, middle and end.

It’s important to define the genre so that the audience has a framework for expectations. People will choose to watch an action movie for a completely different reason than a rom-com or horror.

Every genre has tropes, which are the expectations an audience has and helps develop an instant connection to the story. Some may consider tropes as “cliché” but they are a critical piece of telling a good story.

Tropes are genre-specific and the story you’re telling should fit into a certain category. That’s not to say you can’t have multi-genre movies. Heart Eyes combined romantic comedy tropes and horror tropes, for example.

Let’s look at murder mysteries, which have been around for centuries. From Agatha Christie to Rian Jonhson, the expectations of the genre haven’t changed. Someone (or several people) will be killed and a competent investigator will use clues and dodge red herrings to find the murderer(s). Working within the genre doesn’t stifle creativity, but provides a foundation for a good story to thrive.

Key takeaway: Know your genre before you start writing your story.

What does anyone know about following a yellow brick road or using the force? What makes a good story is connection. It’s empathy for a protagonist or connecting to the external conflicts that force them to make decisions.

Great storytellers know how to connect the characters and the plot to its audience. Many times, we escape to live vicariously in the lives of others. We’re Luke Skywalker or Barbie or the father in Weapons who wants to find their child. It’s not always our dream to live through characters, but connecting to the character and story places us into the situation.

Connection makes a great story timeless and the key to that is developing great characters and placing them in impossible situations…that we can relate to.

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wants to go home. She will do anything to leave Oz, even if it involves killing a wicked witch. I’m guessing that no one has ever had to do this, but doesn’t everyone connect with the notion of wanting to go home or missing their family? I was never a teenage girl in Kansas during the Great Depression, but I connect with the story.

Key takeaway: Connection is about finding universal themes and telling them in a specific way.

No one can predict which stories will connect and which will fade. What matters most is writing from a place of honesty and passion. Somewhere out there, your story might be exactly what someone needs to see or hear - and that’s what makes storytelling worth it.