Do You Want to Tell a Good Story?

I generally avoid making statements like, “This is the most important aspect of a story,” or “This is the most vital ingredient to building a good blog.”

Why?

Because I get that there are so many dynamics involved in creating a good work of literature or art.

There is so much more at play than just one element, right?

And usually, one element is just as important as the other.

But when I mention that there is a single most important thing you need to tell a good story, I have thought this through.

Understanding What Makes a Good Story

I’ve been in the “story” business for a while.

I’ve edited hundreds of stories, novels, and full-length nonfiction manuscripts over the past 12 years, and have averaged reading about 100 books per year (even if I don’t manage to log them all on Goodreads).

The power of a good story is something that hits me in a new way pretty much every day of my life …

And understanding what makes a good story, especially if you are a writer or creator of some sort, is really that important.

So, let me start with a brief story to illustrate what I’m talking about.