EDIT: Here's where I'll keep Links to the other forum posts I've made on the subject of Story
Tips on Fundamental Story Structure
How to Structure a Setting and Cure Cliches1
Hello there!
I'd like to discuss what makes a Story. We may feel as aspiring Storytellers that we have an intuitive understanding of 'what a story is about', but do we? Do we really?
Our goal as Storytellers is to weave a tale as clearly as possible. Would it not follow that we should be able to define what a Story is about? Knowing our field will make us better content creators here on Tapas.
Recently, I finished studying Story by Robert McKee, which I believe any aspiring Comic Writer ought to give a read. It lays out the soul of Storytelling and Structure that uniquely benefits stories told in a primarily visual manner. Even if you're a novelist, this book lays bare the fundamental principles of Stories.
All of the following is information from Story by Robert McKee; I just don't remember which parts are direct quotes because it's all from my notes.
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A Story is...
about Principles, not Rules.
++ Rules say, "ya gotta do it this way". They're rigid.
++ Principles say, "Hey, this works--and has throughout remembered time".
++ You don't need to try to emulate previously great stories but learn the principles underlying these stories that made them great.is about Archetypes, not Stereotypes
++ Because we seek stories to find and understand Life, Archetypal stories unearth universal Human Experiences within a unique setting and unique characters. In an unfamiliar world, the story helps us find ourselves.
++ Stereotypical stories are unspecific generalities about human experience wrapped in a specific-setting.is about thoroughness, not shortcuts
++ Comics have the same density as novels. And it takes just as long to make a Comic script (not counting the obscene number of hours to draw the dang thing.) as it takes to write a novel.
++ But because it's in pictures we assume it takes less time or effort to craft the story.
++ Good comics strive to express the maximum with the least words. Remember, Brevity takes time and Excellence is only found through Preserverence.
++ It's hard to be thorough and nobody said our job is easy, but if you want to be rewarded with a story that will endure, you have to develop the skills to create such a story.is about realities, not the mysteries of Writing.
++ Creating a story can be full of wonder, but it's not riddled with unsolvable Mysteries. Since Aristotle published Poetics we've had the "secrets" of stories.
++ No, Storytelling for the Screen, or in our case Comics, is difficult because we have nowhere to hide. A Novel has the luxury to coat exposition in words that flow along an inner monologue seamlessly without disrupting a story. The best comics must express story through purity of drama because it becomes less real, less true, when we try to tell the story through dialogue.is about Mastering the Art, not Second Guessing the Marketplace
++ Nothing in our field is guaranteed. Let me repeat that. Nothing in the field of Storytelling is guaranteed. No one knows what will make a wildly popular and enduring Story. But I can tell you this:
++ You find success when you write with surpassing quality and not until. It's no use agonizing over the odds of a successful comic or fretting the details of how to get more subscribers, those things are out of our hands and that energy is better spent achieving excellence in the craft.
++ The Reader knows a good story when they see it. Trust that and focus on learning to tell your story.is about Respect, not Disdain for the Reader
++ There are two reasons why talented people write badly:
++ 1/ When they're blinded by an idea they want to prove and
++ 2/ when they're driven to express a certain emotion.
++ A Talented writer writes well when they're moved by a desire to touch the Reader.
++ Make no mistake, the Reader is smarter than us. Don't you often see things coming in stories, catch plot holes, gain insight into the characters and their true natures, and connect all the dots? Our privilege as storytellers is that the Reader opens up to our stories and no story can work without an understanding of the reactions and anticipations of its Reader. (More on this in future posts)is about Originality, not Duplication
++ Originality is the confluence of Content [our distinctive choice of subject] and Form [our unique telling]. The two mutually inspire one another. Thus an original story is not only what you have to say, but how you say it.
++ Eccentricity and being different for difference sake is not Originality. It's just as bad as following the rules of every trope in a given genre.
++ Mature artists don't call attention to themselves by 'showing what they can do with the story' and the wise artist doesn't break convention just to break convention. They find Originality in choosing a meaningful subject to them and shaping the telling of the story to the subject, then allowing the form of the story to influence and refine the subject as well. This back and forth of Content and Form is what makes for an Original Story.
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As I hope you can tell, I am intense about the Art of Storytelling and I'm hoping to add to each one of these points above in future forum posts, but this is a good starting place.
What do you think Stories are fundamentally about? Is there something you'd want to add to this list?
Do you agree with the above definitions? If not, why?
I'm eager to see what fellow creators think.
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Robert McKee's book had over 400 pages of content teaching about the Substance and Structure of stories and I've got handwritten notes on all of it. So there is a LOT more to talk about when it comes to Stories and I hope to be able to share this with everyone on Tapas.
I believe we can all be good storytellers if we're willing to put in the time to study our craft. I hope you will join me on this journey 
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Jun '18last reply
Jun '18- 9
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