Story writing basics: your guide to the 4 essential pillars

Having an idea for a story is one thing. Turning it into a completed piece (whether novel, short story or script) is something else entirely. Most writers have many more ideas for stories than they have finished pieces. The secret to turning more of your ideas into first drafts and then finished stories? A solid grasp of story writing basics. 

This is true even if you’re an experienced writer with an established writing process and good writing skills. Even if you’ve studied on well-respected writing courses. And even if you’re published. I’m all three of those things, and I still find I need to remind myself of the basics sometimes. 

If you’re a beginner, even more so. When I was first starting to write, I knew nothing much about the story writing basics in this article. Arrogantly, I thought I didn’t need to. But writing became far easier, quicker and more enjoyable once I did. 

Think of writing as a combination of creativity and structure. Of art meeting craft. Of learning the rules, and then deciding which ones to break. 

It’s knowledge of the basics (and the ability to use it) that will allow you to answer questions like:

• How do I build a plot that keeps readers hooked? 
• What makes a character memorable? 
• How do I choose the right setting?
• What’s the most  effective point of view?

The 4 pillars of your story: plot, character, setting and voice 

This article is designed to provide a primer and reference point for you as you write your next story. 

It’s not possible in a single blog to go really in depth with detailed writing tips about every aspect of each of them, and how they relate to each other (in depth blogs about each of these will follow).  

I’ve broken story writing down into 4 pillars:

1. Plot
2. Character
3. Setting
4. Voice

Of course, these are all strongly interlinked. All of them depend on each other to make a story. Which is why you’ll find other articles discussing the 5 elements of story, or the 7 steps to writing. Theme is often included as a key element, for example. I’ve left it out here as I don’t think of it as an essential basic. Mostly, it’s something that emerges organically. 

Story writing basics pillar 1: plot

You can see your plot as the backbone of your story. Your characters and setting might be interesting in their own right, but they exist in relation to your plot. 

To develop a story without plot holes, your main characters in particular need to be strong and believable. It’s their decisions, reactions and relationships that will determine the plot. If you’re struggling with your plot, reexamine your characters first. They might be where the problem lies. 

Creating a plot outline

You don’t necessarily need to create a detailed outline for the story itself. Many writers prefer to simply let their characters lead them, and allow their plot to emerge organically. If it doesn’t work, they write another version if  Others struggle to do this, and end up feeling lost, especially when writing a novel.

There’s no right or wrong way. But it is crucial to remember that every plot must have a beginning, middle and end (even in a short story). There should be rising action and falling action. Things have to happen. A journey (physical, emotional, metaphorical) needs to take place. 

There are various methods you can use to plot a story. This article by ProWritingAid provides a rundown of 6 tried and tested methods. 

If you prefer a simpler, leaner way to outline your plot, use the 3 act structure (that is, the beginning, middle and end) to create a short outline. You can make this a few bullet points, or much more. This is ideal for for short stories and simpler novels in particular. 

If you’re a natural planner, or you want to start writing a longer or more complex novel, try the Snowflake Method. This is based on the 3 act structure but goes into far more detail and should mean you never need worry about writer’s block.

Things to consider when creating your plot

Conflict and tension

• Conflict is essential. It’s what propels your story forward. 
• It can be internal (within the character) or external (between characters or between a character and their environment).
• Your reader should never be sure how a conflict will resolve. What unexpected obstacles might emerge? What personal conflicts could play a part? Don’t allow your plot to become predictable. 

Plot development

• Your plot should build steadily and coherently, step by step. Avoid unnecessary tangents or things that don’t make sense to your reader. 
• Consider pacing. If things move too fast, people forget or miss details. If they’re too slow, they turn off. 
• Twists and turns are fine, but they need to  make sense. No Bobby Ewing in the shower! 

Subplots and Layers

• Subplots are usually essential in novels to add depth and understanding. They’re not usually needed in short stories. 
• Subplots need to make sense in relation to the main story. They can do things like show another aspect of a character, or explain something in the main plot. They should never be totally separate or distract from the main story. 

Story writing basics pillar 2: character

Characters are the lenses through which your readers experience your story. They need to be believable and relatable, though not necessarily likeable. 

Developing 3D characters

• Your story needs well-rounded characters with their own desires, fears, strengths and weaknesses. In real life, no-one is all good, or all bad. They shouldn’t be in your story’s world either.  
• Backstories are essential to help explain your characters’ motivations and actions. If one character hates children, why? If they fall in love too fast, what  happened in their past to cause this? You don’t always need a very detailed backstory (though you might). But you do need to understand why your characters are the people they are. 
• Character development happens through your story. They might become a better person (like Ebeneezer Scrooge) or a worse person (like Walter White). They will get older, wiser, braver, calmer, angrier, sadder…
• Check out this article on the four types of character arcs to help you.

Show, don’t tell

• Don’t tell your reader what your characters believe or feel. Show them by describing actions and reactions. This blog by Reedsy has some excellent examples and tips on show don’t tell. 
• When you show rather than tell, you’ll find writing authentic dialogue and internal narrative much easier (but more on that later). 

Authenticity

• Think about what characters would genuinely be involved in your story, and what they would be doing. If you’re going to have a female character doing a traditionally male job in a novel set in the 19th century, for example, you’ll need to explain how she got that job, and how others react to her. 
• Do your research. If you write about characters from different cultures, times or places than your own, make sure you know how to make them real and authentic, rather than cliched. 

Story writing basics pillar 3: setting

Your setting includes the time period, cultural backdrop and physical environment in which your story takes place. It can help draw your readers in to the world of your story. In some stories – especially historical, fantasy or science fiction – it’s likely to be especially important. 

Worldbuilding

• You need a believable setting, whether that’s  a realistic depiction of a modern city or a completely imagined fantasy world. It must feel real even if it’s not. This article on worldbuilding from Masterclass has some excellent tips and examples. 
• Details matter and help create a strong mental image. Think about climate, architecture, landscape, social norms and everyday life.
• Make it sensory. How does your world sound, smell, feel or taste?
• Consistency is key. If your world changes without warning or explanation, your readers will quickly become confused and disconnected from your story.  

Description vs action

• Excessive description becomes a distraction from the story. Weave details into your story rather than spending lots of time describing the world without anything much happening. For example, if your character is walking along the street, you can describe the street in relation to their thoughts and feelings. 
• Make your world work with your story and its mood. A sunny morning in the countryside could feel optimistic, a dark evening in the city might be menacing. These feelings could either enhance or contrast with your characters’ feelings and actions. 

Story writing basics pillar 4: voice

Your voice is the way you tell your story. The point of view you use, the language you choose, the dialogue and thoughts of your characters. 

Point of view

• There are several points of view from which you can tell your story. Many stories can be told through more than one, others only work with a particular point of view. This article from Grammarly is a great reference on point of view. 
• First person POV is where your character tells the story directly. They speak to the reader, not you. It’s great for portraying emotions and for providing a  This is usually your main character, but not always (In The Great Gatsby, the story is told through Nick’s POV, not Gatsby’s). It can also switch between characters (as in Gone Girl). 
• Second person POV is where your narrator talks directly to someone, addressing them as ‘you’. It’s unusual, but can be really effective for short stories (my first short story was written in second person). Few books use it, though The Night Circus is one example. 
• Third person POV is generally thought of as the ‘standard’ way to write and is the way that many writers find easiest. 
• Limited third person is where the story is told wholly or mainly from one perspective. The effect is similar to writing in first person, in that you see the story through one person’s eyes. But it does give more flexibility. The Harry Potter stories are written mostly from Harry’s perspective, but there are some deviations from this where the story needs it. 
• In omniscient third person the story is told by an ‘omniscient narrator’ who can see the whole story. It’s how most 19th century traditional novels were written. It’s a great way to show your reader the ‘whole’ story, but can make it harder to convey emotion and feeling.  
• Whichever POV you choose, be consistent. It’s not unusual for beginner writers to accidentally switch POV, which makes for a confusing story. 

Tense

• Most stories are written in either the present or past tense. 
• Present tense is immediate and cinematic. It’s great for short stories and action driven narratives. It works especially well with first person narratives. If you’re writing a short, intense ghost story, for example, present tense will probably work brilliantly. 
• Past tense is the more common way to write. It can be hard to write a longer or more complex novel in present tense, though that’s not to say you shouldn’t. 
• It’s rare to find a whole story written in future tense, but some will switch to it at times, especially towards the end. 
• You don’t need to stick to one tense throughout a story, but if you switch, make sure you do it intentionally. 

Dialogue

• Dialogue should be seen as a powerful tool that can reveal character traits and feelings, and advance the plot. Important action can take place through dialogue. This is a great guide to writing dialogue. 
• Think about the words your characters would genuinely use. Make sure you know why your characters are speaking and what they are trying to achieve when they speak. 
• Think about authenticity vs understanding. If your character is a 15th century peasant, they won’t speak like a modern person. But that doesn’t mean you need to try and mimic medieval dialect exactly, especially if your reader won’t understand it. 

Language

• Use only the words that you need to use. Never include a word in your story that doesn’t have a reason to be there. 
• Limit adjectives and adverbs. Many writers use far too many, which just distracts from the meaning. A few well-chosen descriptive words are far more powerful than lots of unnecessary descriptive words. 
• Choose clear over clever. Your writing can be beautiful and evocative and still be easy to understand. 

Now: write your story!

This article on story writing basics was designed to give you reference points and links. You could use it to give yourself a kick start when you’re beginning a new project, or as a checklist to help you with the planning or editing stages. 

If you’re a beginner writer desperate to get your first story out of your brain and onto the page, you might also find this blog on beginning fiction writing helpful.

I’d also love to invite you to message me personally if you want to chat/scream/laugh about writing and all its challenges.