How to write a great English story? Learn how to improve your storytelling skills in 10 minutes, perfect for beginner students

Remember, you always have tales or stories to share. And you already tell them, whether or not you think of yourself as a storyteller.

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A strong story draws the reader's attention and makes them seek more. To craft a compelling story, you have to be creative and sharp to look at each word in a sentence, as every sentence matters a lot! Establish a strong plot by creating appealing and interesting characters to start telling your story. Then write your first draft up to the end. Once your first attempt is ready, editing may be necessary a few times but don't stop until you're happy with the result.

Things you should keep in mind before starting a compelling english story.

1. Develop an outline or plot for your english story

Do brainstorm yourself, think of appealing characters, and outline. Characters play a pivotal role in elevating the taste of your story. First, make a draft or a mind map to gather your ideas and follow those to reveal them in an outstanding story.

The following are some ideas for stories that you may write:

• Your unforgettable life experience

• The story of a family

• A hypothetical scenario

• An article in the news

• A dream

• Someone you're obsessed with

• A compelling photograph and art

2. Choose a background setting for your story

The location and atmosphere influence the plot of your novel or story and inspire scenes. When you find yourself wanting to describe a certain street, park, or scenario placed somewhere where you can think creatively, all the writing you did in the initial step of your tales will come in handy to craft the true scenes behind your story. Readers can feel the true taste by setting up images in their minds while enjoying the true shades, colors, and lights of those places while reading. 

Also, think about how your characters' relate to that environment and are affected by this situation as well.

Attention! Take care not to select a location or period that you are not familiar with when picking your setting, so it's possible to make mistakes with details, and your reader could notice them.

3. Create and develop Appealing characters for your story

Your story's characters are its most important component. A novel is about a character's long-term interactions with activities; therefore, characters and actions are inseparable since the tale is impacted by the roles that people play and what happens to them.

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• Create character profiles by listing each character's name, personality attributes, habits, desires, and interesting traits. Give as much information as you can.

• Make a sheet and write about the main characters of your story and what roles they are going to play.

• List all your characters and their physical appearance; their looks, including skin, eye color, and wardrobes; even expressing the smallest information about your main roles can make the readers get mesmerized, love them, and remember them till the end.

• You may browse templates online or make your character sheets and write about them.

4. Select a point-of-view (POV): first person or third person:

POV can alter the story's overall perspective and plot. To decide on a point of view for your story, consider the following: Whose voice is narrating the story? Why are they saying it to them, and to whom? Typical point-of-view tactics and understand the following:

First Person: Select the first person to truly immerse yourself in the narrative. Second person: It is structured around the pronoun "you," and it truly works well for short stories.

Third Person: For a more focused plot where you still want to be able to add your interpretations to the events, use a limited third-person point of view. 

Third-person omniscient POV: If you wish to reveal every detail of the scene happening in the story, then choose third-person omniscient.

5.  Draft your story

In the beginning, give your reader a sense of the scene in the first two to three paragraphs, then introduce your characters to the scene first. Next, provide a brief overview of the location and add details to illustrate the period. Just enough details should be provided so that the readers can paint the exact picture in their minds. 

You might begin your story in this way: "Jonas stepped off the steam engine, the clatter of tracks fading. The station bustled with travelers in tweed suits and long skirts, steam hissing. He hefted his worn suitcase, brass latches gleaming. Cobblestone streets lined with flickering gas lamps stretched ahead. In 1898, the city buzzed with promise. Pulling his coat tight, Jonas hurried to his boarding house, where the letter in his pocket reminded him of the opportunity—and the risk—ahead."

6. Introduce challenging struggles and problems

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The first 1-2 paragraphs should introduce a problem. To keep the plot fresh and interesting for readers. Struggles relating to the main characters will serve as an inciting incident. Analyze why your character doesn't have it and what they want. Next, see them running into this problem and trying to find it.

Example: "Jonas stepped off the steam engine, the clatter of tracks fading. The station bustled with travelers in tweed suits and long skirts, steam hissing. He hefted his worn suitcase, brass latches gleaming. Cobblestone streets lined with flickering gas lamps stretched ahead. In 1898, the city buzzed with promise. Pulling his coat tight, Jonas hurried to his boarding house, the letter in his pocket reminding him of the opportunity—and the risk—ahead. But as he turned the corner, he discovered his suitcase had been swapped with another, filled not with his belongings but with stacks of counterfeit money.

7. Include actions in the middle of your story

Play out your character, attempting to solve their issue. Include three or four of the difficulties they encounter while approaching the story's finale to spice up the plot. This elevates the reader's curiosity before disclosing the outcome.

Example: …... but with stacks of counterfeit money. Panicked, Jonas retraced his steps to the station, scanning the crowd for his suitcase. He spotted a man rushing away with it and gave chase through the bustling streets. Dodging carriages and weaving through alleys.

8. Provide a climax in the story:

 The pinnacle of the story you are telling is the climax. Plan an incident that will compel your character to defend their desires. Next, portray your character as either victorious or defeated.

Like this: …… Weaving through alleys. He finally cornered the thief in a dark alley, only to have the man pull a knife. As they struggled, a shot rang out—Jonas had stumbled into a police raid on a counterfeit ring. The thief dropped, wounded, and Jonas found himself surrounded by officers. Desperate, he held up his hands and shouted, 'I can help you bring them all down!

9. Use falling motions and activities that draw the reader in:

Your reader won't be as interested in reading after the peak, so make sure your decreasing action is succinct. To conclude, summarize the events that followed the problem's solution in the final few sentences.

Continuing like this: In the aftermath, Jonas provided crucial information to the police, leading to the ring's capture. He retrieved his suitcase and continued to his boarding house, now a reluctant hero with a remarkable story to tell.

10. Write an ending that leaves the reader to think about:

Don't stress about writing a happy ending in your first draft. Rather, concentrate on introducing your topic and outlining potential future actions for your character. The reader will be left contemplating the story's progression as a result.

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Example: As Jonas walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty. Had he done the right thing? What would the consequences be? Yet, amidst the doubts, he found a glimmer of resolve. Sometimes, the path to justice is fraught with risk, but he was ready to face it head-on. With a determined step forward, Jonas embraced the unknown, knowing that true courage lies in doing what's right, regardless of the outcome.

11. Revise and Improve your story:

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After your first complete write, take a deep breath and leave it for at least a day. Don’t start revising it right away because there is a great chance of mistakes being left behind as your brain is tired after a long write-up. Wait at least 24 hours, then start revising your story with a fresh mind and improving the points that you think about replacing or re-editing.

Following are a few important things to check while giving a shot back to your tale! 

• Check for all five senses involved and relate them to your character with flow.

• Check for all stimulants and incidents.

• Incorporate any dialogue needed in your story to reveal more about your character.

• Check for all sentence structures, including punctuation, grammar, and phrases.

Read your story aloud to catch mistakes and assess the flow of sentences and their pronunciation. This will ensure that when your readers read it, they won't be able to take their eyes off it! Also, don't forget to have others, like your friends, family, and people who enjoy reading novels, read it. They can provide valuable feedback that truly matters.