6 Basic Principles in Storytelling

Storytelling is an interactive art using sentences and words that function to tell a story and the elements in it at the same time can provoke the imagination of the listener / reader. Elements in storytelling can be in the form of facts, fiction or a combination of both.

The development of technology makes Storytelling has many different ways of delivering media. Storytelling can be packaged in the form of books, web, movies, or even games. Apart from the various media used, in general there are 6 basic principles in the process of making Storytelling:

Storytelling Purpose

A good story must be a good goal for humanity. If in the process of developing a story there is a special message to be conveyed and has a value of kindness, then the story will have value and deserve to be developed.

The purpose of making a story must have a big impact, more than just telling an imaginative event or fantasy. In addition, the story must also have an engagement and connection with the audience.

If a story is related (related and related) with the people who read it. see it, then the story will have a significant impact on the person. This also causes a story to look good in a group of people, but instead it looks ugly in a group of other people.

Storytelling Structure

A good story must have a clear structure. The concept of three stages, namely introduction, conflict, and resolution is the main basis in making a story.

In another version, the structure most widely used to create stories is the concept of The Story Spine developed by Ken Adams. This concept makes it easy for story writers to clearly determine the beginning, conflict and end of the story.

Storytelling Character

A good story must have a main character who goes through the situation in the story. This character will be the "avatar" audience in the story. The more interesting the characters told in the story, the more interested the audience will be to follow the story.

One example of a story format that never fails is a story that adopts the format "From Zero To Hero".

Storytelling Emotion

Humans have different forms of emotions, such as anger, sadness, joy, fear and surprise. Utilizing the form of human emotions in the story, whether one or a combination, will make a story feel more real and touching.

In this stage, the writer must focus on what kind of emotion the story wants to make to the audience.
Storytelling Twist

One form of emotion and human nature that rarely appears is surprise. Not many events in daily life that can provoke these emotions arise.

A good story can use a twist on the plot of the story so that the audience is surprised to find an unexpected ending from before. However the process of making a twist ending in this story is quite difficult and requires several trials.

Storytelling Simplicity

Apart from the various characters and their nature and motives, the emotions they emerge, and the twist ending prepared, a good story must be simple, have a clear plot that can be easily understood.

A good story must be explained in one simple sentence that covers the whole story.