How to write a Great African Story?

When learning the basics of storytelling, you learned how to create characters, build suspense and reach your peak at just the right moment. But very rarely is it taught how to write a great African story. 

In this blog post, I will walk you through the anatomy of a great African story and give you pointers on how to turn an ordinary anecdote into an epic tale!

What is the genre of the story?

First things first, the GENRE. 

The writer must be true to the genre of their story. What is the genre of your story? Let's start with some definitions.

A work can fall into more than one category, but most stories have elements that set them apart from other types. The most common genres are Action/Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, and Horror. 

Once you are aware of the genre, be consistent with it till the very end. 

Most times, the audience gravitates more to works that are based on true/hidden African stories. So, irrespective of the genre, people enjoy familiarizing themselves with events that have occurred.  

Know your target audience

In order to create a great story, you need to hit the right audience. As a storyteller, it's your job to ask yourself who your audience is and what they want from the story.

Asking yourself these questions will help you understand the needs of your target audience:

• Who are they?
• What do they need?
• How can I inspire them with my writing?

It is all about them and not you. When you have that in mind, you create ways to completely immerse your audience into the story. If your audience is centered around Africans, speak in a language that is relatable to them. Let them feel understood. They should be able to leave your story either educated or well-represented.

Memorable Characters

A memorable character is one who leaves a lasting impression on the audience, whether it be good or bad. They should be relatable so that you can see yourself in them and understand their actions and motivations. The characters must also be consistent in their behavior, both internally and externally: if they act one way at first but then change later on without reason or explanation, it'll make your story seem strange and convoluted. 

Finally, as with any good relationship between two people (or between humans and animals), the audience needs to develop a relationship with these characters over time—this gives them more depth as well as makes it easier for them to relate to the cast when things get tough in the plotline.

Conflict

By now, you could put together a rough draft of your own African story. 

You know by now that conflict is the driving force of any story, but that alone doesn't make a great African story! In order for your story to be truly engaging, it must do more than simply have conflict—it needs to have multiple layers of conflict that challenge the characters on multiple levels and in ways they can't always see coming. 

With that being said, don’t be afraid to deepen your plot with sub-plots (as long as it goes along with the main storyline).

Stories should be crafted to hold the audience's interest through the end

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It's what connects us as human beings. When you write, you want your readers to empathize with your characters. If you are telling a story about a person who has never experienced war, but is now experiencing it for the first time in his life, convey it in such a way that the audience feels as if they are going through war with this person. 

Most of the greatest works keep the audience wanting more. Figure out a way to achieve this and you’ve got a major part of your work done. 

Also, don't be afraid to add comic relief to the story if it helps lighten some of that tension!

Discover your signature

Now that you know what makes a great African story, it’s time to dig deeper into yourself and find out what makes your writing unique.

The best way to do this is by brainstorming. Grab a pen and paper, and write down every idea, thought, or inspiration as they come to mind without editing yourself at first. You might end up with some crazy ideas but don’t worry about that just yet – we will be sorting everything out later on!

Once you have written down everything possible about your signature style, patterns, and individuality as a writer/storyteller then it's time for you to ask yourself these questions: How does my character development differ from others? What makes my stories stand out from others? What makes me stand out as a storyteller? How can I stick to my signature patterns in all my works?

Good storytellers make every word count.

The best storytellers are the ones who make every word count. They use simple words and sentences, they keep it short, and they give satisfying endings. This is because they know that majority of people have short attention spans. The amazing thing about African stories is that they have been told over generations to many different audiences—from an audience of one child to an audience of hundreds of children—and still hold their appeal for all ages! Run with this BUT be innovative with how you express your story.

Conclusion

This is the anatomy of a great African story. It’s a formula that will not only help you write better stories, but also give your audience something to remember. What are your thoughts on this?