Article Writing - The Power Of Stories
I have been engaged in article marketing for a while now and I am a great believer in its power to bring, fresh, interested and motivated visitors to my website. However, I began to realize recently that I was becoming stuck in a rut. Although my articles range across three or four different subjects, I was almost exclusively using the same format every time.
I realised that I needed to try out some different styles. The first one I decided to practice was the narrative style, but, my problem was, I didn’t really know how to tell a good story.
I knew that if I could find the right format for a story, then I could pretty much bend any piece of information to suit it. I figured this would be a useful skill for any future articles, I might write, but I had another, more pressing agenda.
My real hope was that if I could learn the best way to structure a story type article I would be able to go back over my entire existing article portfolio and rewrite almost everything I had ever done under the new structure. That way, I calculated I would be able to double my article quota, without having a single new idea. So I began the hunt.
Over the next few weeks, I read numerous books on novel writing; combed through pages on joke telling; listened carefully to the accomplished raconteurs among my friends and little by little, I began to piece together a simple theory of what makes a good story; one that people will enjoy and remember.
- I realised that the first thing the storyteller needs is a sympathetic character; someone that the audience can immediately relate to. He or she doesn’t need to be fully described, or laden with complex emotions; a few simple words that the listeners can understand and sympathise with will be enough. This is after all, only a short article form we’re trying to create.
- Next, I could see that, our hero needs a problem to wrestle with; something that forms an obstacle in the path along which the story is taking him. This must be a barrier that the audience can relate to as well; perhaps something they have wrestled with themselves.
- So far, so good. However, it took me a while to understand clearly, that our lead character must also maintain the listener’s sympathy, by taking some action to overcome the obstacle. They must engage in the struggle. They cannot be passive, or the reader will lose interest and begin to despise the hero.
- What struck me though, in studying many different stories was that the struggle need not necessarily be long and arduous. Sometimes a quick and clever resolution through sheer luck or the help of another (a Fairy Godmother character), can be just as satisfying.
- Finally, I came to understand that a happy ending is essential. Despite our modern penchant for downbeat outcomes, there is still nothing more satisfying and uplifting than a goal achieved, through struggle and good fortune.
So that has now become my story structure and my article writing has been given a new lease of life. In the next few weeks, I will be able to more than double my article library and hopefully double my traffic.
Can you see now, how powerful this article format can be? I was the leading character in my own story. I faced the obstacle of overcoming a slump in my creativity and I set out to find my Holy Grail of mastering a new article format.
Through heavy research and persistent enquiry, I completed my quest and discovered the treasure which I am sharing with you today. Now I am reaping the rewards of an easy life, re-purposing my own content and massively increasing my article list with little effort.
You followed my tale and now you too, know how to tell a good story.
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From Andrew Grant - http://www.money-and-mind.com
Tags: article directories, article writing, e-zines, online income, online marketing, story telling