Post #196 December 23, 2019

“It’s Better to be Simple and Clear than Complicated and Ambiguous”

Point number 7 in our storylab list of good storytelling practices is stated above, for which I am indebted to the website storysci.com for details.

Storysci.com states the need very clearly: “Simplicity creates clear understanding in the minds of the audience.”

Some writers feel (mistakenly) that they must tell their stories in some kind of high-falutin’ literary prose style to be taken seriously.  My advice: get over yourself.  Your job is to tell the story…period.  Do whatever it takes to tell the story, in an engaging, entertaining and memorable way.  Nothing else matters.

Especially in sf and fantasy, some writers spend so much time building their imaginary worlds, they feel they have to dump all of it into the story.  While this isn’t specifically an issue with simplicity, it can slow a story down.  Storytellers work the details of their setting into the story itself.  Or you can do what I have done, as so many sf/f writers have done (like Frank Herbert with Dune) and put your world-building details in an appendix.  That way, the story can proceed at its own best pace.

As a storyteller, you are trying to ‘transport’ your readers to an imaginary place.  Simple, active-voice prose is almost always the best way to do that.  What do I mean by ‘active vs passive voice’?  Here’s an example: (ACTIVE) “Harry ate six shrimp at dinner.”  (PASSIVE) “At dinner, six shrimp were eaten by Harry.” 

According to storysci.com, one mistake some storytellers make is to try and tell too much without spending enough time on the story details that make up the big picture. Sometimes, the info dump slows down the story too much and the reader lose the thread of the narrative.  My best advice: Forget the big picture, the philosophizing, the stream of consciousness and just tell the story.  This happened, then this happened, then that happened….Allow your readers to engage their own imaginations in filling out the details. 

Clarity is vital to a storyteller.  You want your readers to ‘see’ and ‘hear’ and even ‘taste’ and ‘feel’ what it’s like to be in your story, fighting off the aliens, rescuing the hostages, surviving the breakup of the planet or fleeing the storm that just moved in.  Simplicity means not only fewer and simpler words, but more importantly, well-chosen and descriptive words.  Analogies are commonly used. This is like that.  Here’s a rather lengthy sentence from a novella I’m writing now, part of my upcoming Quantum Troopers Return series:

“Energized by movement and the upcoming prospect of some action, the atomgrabbers of 1^st Nano, constituted as Operation Selene Hammer, boarded Badger and Prairie Dog and hung on as their hopper transports lifted off the crater floor and scooted forward, flying so low over the rubbly, black terrain that Glance felt he could stick his hypersuit boot out and kick the tops off the mountains.”

Here, I am using a sort of analogy to describe the feeling of what it is like for a quantum trooper to fly at a very low altitude over the Moon’s surface en route to beginning a mission, so low he could almost reach out and kick the mountain tops.  A lengthy sentence, perhaps, but hopefully each word conveys the feeling of being there and being anxious for the mission to begin.

Simplicity in storytelling is always the best way.  Use just enough of the right words to move the story along and immerse your readers in your imaginary world.  Active voice, short sentences unless otherwise needed, descriptive words, analogies with your reader’s common experiences, all of these are good tools to use to build and carry your story forward. 

Do be shy about letting your readers do some of the imaginary work.  Your role as storyteller is just to help them get there.

With the upcoming holidays, The Word Shed will take a two-week break.  The next post, item #8 on our list of storytelling practices, comes on January 6, 2020.  It’s called “Say as much as possible with as little as possible.”  Kind of a good follow-on to today’s post.

See you then and have a great holiday.

Phil B.