Blazing your own trail can be rewarding, but comes with risks. Photo by David Valuja via Pexels (bit.ly/davidvaluja)
If you read enough—screenplays, novels, articles, poetry—your mind can go numb to the sameness of storytelling, whether in subject, structure, narrative style or innumerable facets you no longer see.
As a storyteller, I dread the idea that my work falls into that category, and yet I know some of it does.
The urge, therefore, is to come up with ways to surprise the reader, to give their eyes, minds and souls something they have never experienced before.
We are creatives, so why should we not be creative?
How can I shake things up in my storytelling to dazzle the reader?
What if my characters all spoke in limericks? What if I wrote my action descriptions as music? What if I named my characters using the military alphabet (see M*A*S*H)?
Yeah, what if you did any of those things?
Novelty and expectation
The biggest challenge in going with your own style is that it absolutely has to work. There is no middle ground.
Out of the gate, you are going to piss off traditionalists: 1) they expect to read things in a certain way and don’t embrace change easily; and 2) they see your decision not as innovative, but rather as the act of a storyteller wrapped up in his or her ego.
Who are you to think of yourself as above the law?
(Very melodramatic, these traditionalists.)
Even with readers willing to go on a ride, however, you’re going to need to prove that your method is worth the effort, that it brings something to the storytelling experience that a more traditional approach does not or cannot.
In a recent Go Into The Story blog post, Scott Myers looks at how the writers of Wall-E used a very unconventional, almost poetic style for their scene descriptions. Offering examples from the screenplay, Myers shows how simplifying the descriptions allowed the writers to focus on what the heart felt rather than what the eye saw. In the process, they created a very fluid and impactful read.
Descriptions more poetry than prose. (Wall-E, written by Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon)
Up for the challenge?
So, should you rush back to your manuscript and do the same thing? Or do an equivalent that best suits your specific narrative?
The answer to those two questions is unfortunately two other questions.
Is there an appropriate equivalent? And can you pull it off?
Even if there is an alternative way to present your story, you may not yet be ready to effectively execute it.
Your writing skills may yet require some seasoning until you can effectively pull off non-traditional approaches to storytelling.
Alternatively, you may be approaching this challenge with the wrong (I hate to use that word) mindset; that you’re seeking novelty for the sake of novelty and not because it will enhance the power of your story.
That said, if you really want to try something new, if you really want to challenge yourself, then go for it.
Go for it
Nothing is permanent. Versions can be saved. You can always retell the story in a more traditional manner.
Even if it doesn’t work, you have improved your storytelling skills for the experience.
And ultimately, to counter my earlier point about others’ reactions, most of us tell stories because we have a passion for storytelling. The business of storytelling is secondary.
I welcome and encourage you to continue to explore that passion, both for your own happiness and because that is how you will create the truly remarkable.
To learn more about effective storytelling, as well as the power of story analysis and story coaching, visit:
So, What’s Your Story? (web site)
So, What’s Your Story? (Facebook)
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