Five essential writing tips backed by science

Incomplete stories are filled automatically by the brain, as we have an urge to find meaning in everything. We also tend to believe the simplest explanations. Stories need to be shown a linear cause and effect for the reader to stay interested. If there are too many effects, the effect is lost.

Flawed characters have been a favourite in stories, as it is the imperfections in life that are relatable, as we are all partly biased, stubborn and imperfect. Flaws also show that life is not fully in one’s control.

Apart from plots, having a convincing character and exposing their flaws is a hallmark of a great story.

Most writers become emotionally invested(and hence biased) in their main character.

A great storyteller must come out of his ‘self’ and be willing to expose his own flaws. In real life, one rarely gets to know who he is(self-realization), but in a story, the hero can realize himself, while recognizing his conflicting desires and thoughts.

The best stories are always a hero’s journey, where challenges and problems transform a person.

Human beings still have a tribal instinct in their DNA, and the modern age has transcended all the prior boundaries. The stories we believe, and the hero’s narrative each one of us follows, are what make up our major beliefs in life. We all love a good story as we are all deep down a story only, a coherent narrative that we call our own.