It’s been raining in So Cal, which is definitely not the norm. Because I’ve been trapped indoors, I’ve been critiquing more than usual. As is always the case, some stories grab me and keep me turning pages, while others, although technically well written, I have to force myself to finish. The experience has got me thinking about the difference between good storytelling and solid writing.

I’m in two critique groups filled with seasoned writers. Everyone knows the basics. We all know the value of showing vs. telling; we can set scenes, write authentic dialogue and vivid descriptions, avoid passive voice, and understand POV. But if I’m being honest, I secretly look forward to reading some members’ work more than others. You might argue that some topics just resonate more with me. That I simply like mysteries about divorced moms whose children you’re missing, over adventure stories set on yachts featuring retiree sailors. Or that I like reading about conflicted characters over stories about characters with a single focus, and that I prefer novels with descriptive style over those with clean, simple prose, and you’d be right. But I believe that my tendency to devour certain books and not others stems from more than that. I think there’s a secret sauce involved here, and I believe that sauce is great storytelling.

So, what is great storytelling? For me, this is hard to define. If you read craft books, you’re told what good writing is. Basically, it’s about writing in a way that allows readers to understand and enjoy your story. Usually, there’s a set of rules involved. Don’t switch POV in a scene unless you’re writing omniscient; avoid tense shifts; physically describe your characters when readers meet them; vary your sentence structure… You get the picture. But good storytelling isn’t as concrete. You can’t follow a set of rules. If you ask ChatGPT for a definition, it says that storytelling is the emotional experience of a story, how stories unfold, and how they connect with the audience. According to ChatGPT, storytelling is the house, and writing is the blueprint. Storytelling is the experience. Writing is the method of presenting information. Storytelling is cooking a meal, while writing is the recipe.

I hope that this is becoming clearer to me. It is for me…a little. One question still gnaws at me. Clearly, we, as writers, strive to be great storytellers. How do we become one of the greats?

Craft books will tell you that storytelling involves mastering structure and pacing, creating suspense by withholding information, developing characters with rich backstories that readers want to follow and care about, upping the stakes in your novel, honing your voice, focusing on themes, and writing with nuance. I don’t know about you, but this feels like a lot to me. A lot to think about all at once. Frankly, it’s too much for me. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe great storytelling isn’t something we’re supposed to think about. Maybe we’re supposed to get lost in the writing of our stories and let the storytelling unfold naturally. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t work to incorporate cause and effect in our novels, that we shouldn’t strive for twists and turns that blow readers’ minds, write moments that characters recognize, or that we shouldn’t write a compelling narrative voice; we should. These are all ingredients of great storytelling. But we shouldn’t get so caught up in checking off a list or incorporating ingredients that we forget that some of the best recipes are simple… that some of the best songs are sung acapella… that some of the best plays are performed in a single act. Maybe all we really need to be great storytellers is to focus first and foremost on our passion for our work.

What authors do you consider to be the best storytellers? Do you think there is a difference between storytelling and writing? Do you think great storytelling differs from genre to genre? What do you think about slice-of-life authors like Samuel Beckett, Virginia Woolf, Raymond Carver, and Claire-Louise Bennet who make simple daily experiences feel important? If you have thoughts on these topics, I’d love to hear from you. Stay well!