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INGREDIENTS OF A GRIPPING STORY


Is there any single proven formula to write a gripping story? As you have guessed, no. Here are a few elements which I feel makes a story great.

HOOK: Dangle an irresistible curiosity before the readers within the first few chapters or the first 20 pages. You might have the best dramatic twist in the history of literature unfolding on page 107 of your book. What use is it if someone replaces your book in the shelf after going through a few of the initial pages?
Literary agents generally appoint someone to go through the slush pile and try to find a piece of work that is publishable. And chances of them going through each and every page with patience till page 107 is non-existent. 


CHARACTERS: Make your readers invested in your characters. And how to do that? Make them mysterious, make your readers want to read on and find out what is going on in their heads.
I will be doing a detailed post on character development in the future.


CONFLICT: Great literary works are driven by constant conflict. And I couldn’t help but observe great literary works are of tragic in nature. If you’re able to balance conflict with plot twists, your readers will fail to notice they have already finished 312 of 600 pages of your book. How are the conflict and twists going to affect the characters is an obsession that’s going to make your readers not want to leave their couches. 

SHORT CHAPTERS: Most readers like to end their reading sessions at the chapter breaks. So if someone wants a quick read just to refresh their mind or while on a 15 mins bus ride, they might not pick up your 32-pages-per-chapter book, for the fear of not being able to finish the chapter they’re reading in the time frame they had hoped.
When your book is a compilation of short chapters, your readers are more likely to consider reading the next chapter thinking ‘I have time for another one’. And you are providing your readers with more options as when to stop. Tactful deployment of cliff-hangers at the end of chapters can tempt your readers to step out of their self-allotted reading time.
A sense of completion effectively releases dopamine in your readers’ brain. Stopping in the middle of a chapter and having to probably read a page or two before picking it up again which is lost reading time for your readers and yourself definitely fails to achieve this.
Another advantage of using short chapters is that it enables you to switch characters. And Dan Brown makes effective use of it. For example, he will switch from Robert to the albino monk leaving his readers wonder what’s happening to Robert. This curiosity drives the story. Readers will be tempted to finish the monk’s chapter just to know what happens to Robert. He gets his readers read 3 chapters for the price of 1.

VAST KNOWLEDGE: As Aaron Sorkin said, the worst thing you can do is tell your audience what they already know. One of the best ways to impress your readers is to teach them something new. To do this you have to invest quality time in your research to suck your readers into the vortex of your story. Readers won’t be hesitant to choose your book over an academic one as they can infotain themselves with yours.
………………………..........…..

“Writing an informative yet compact thriller is a lot like making maple sugar candy. You have to tap hundreds of trees - boil vats and vats of raw sap - evaporate the water - and keep boiling until you've distilled a tiny nugget that encapsulates the essence.”
-Dan Brown

____AUTHOR’S NOTE____
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Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 24, 2018 at 2:46 PM

    A list of infotaining books??..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Adil VpMarch 27, 2018 at 4:41 PM

      The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, The Lost Symbol, Inferno, Origin (DAN BROWN) - you can learn about various arts, artists, cultures etc
      .
      Deception Point (DAN BROWN) - Facts about NASA and other scientific facts mentioned
      .
      The Naked Face (SIDNEY SHELDON) - you can get a glimpse at a psychologist's life; the kind of patients he has to deal with, types of mental illnesses that we may not be even aware of etc
      .
      Sherlock Holmes (ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE) - as you know, it suggests ways to read others by observing their physicality and gives us an idea as to how to consider facts while deducing
      .
      Game of Thrones (GEORGE R.R. MARTIN) - it gave me a rough idea about how our society functioned back in 12,000 B.C
      .
      The Prometheus Deception (ROBERT LUDLUM) - Makes you aware about the fact that when the power of cyber world vest in the hands of a very few people, they can manipulate the majority to their benefit.
      .
      Reminiscence (ADIL) - Work in progress. I will be exploring the world of literature. In Shaa Allah [God Willing]
      .
      The above mentioned is actually a shortlist of infotaining books I can recollect right now. I am sure plenty are available in the market. And if you have any in mind please comment below so that our writer pals and myself can benefit :D


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