Blog

Storytelling is one pastime almost—if not—everybody engages in. We all have stories to tell; we recount events to our friends, family, and colleagues. These stories birth emotions that cause tears or laughter.

Now that you have seen how natural storytelling is, you don’t have to stiffen up next time you try to put those words to paper. It’s not so hard. Let’s look at a few tips that will help guide you:

• Figure out what your audience needs: Both fiction and non-fiction storytelling have this in common. At the end of the story, what do they expect to gain? Or what do you want them to learn? With this in mind, constructing a story will be a lot easier.
• Set the story: Every story is set in a place or time. Some settings are more specific than some others, which are more descriptive and expansive. For instance, December 25, 2011—Ikeja, Lagos—11 p.m. or more descriptive like The hut stood crooked, as if leaning in the direction of the wind, cracks running from top to bottom like veins protruding from an old man’s hand, giving it character.
• Characters: Especially in fiction storytelling, it is easy to get hung up on making your protagonist perfect and your antagonist, well, the devil. Your protagonist is the center of the story with a clear goal that they plan to achieve at the end of the story, and the antagonist is the one person or thing standing between them and their goals. There are other central characters that the plot revolves around who are important to the story too.
• Plot: The sequence of events that cause a connection between audience and protagonist.
• Cause and effect: A bulk of your story should be told in a way that everything that goes on in the story is caused by the event preceding it. Though there are other instances where it would be better to go the other way, this format helps with the flow and understanding.

Cause: They have a big fight.

Effect: She takes a walk.

Instead of telling it as She takes a walk because they had a big fight, tell it as, There was palpable tension between them after the confrontation, so she grabbed her jacket and went for a walk.

• Conflict: The only reason a reader stays hooked to your story is that they can’t wait to see how you resolve the conflict that the characters, especially the protagonist, have been thrown into. It is the conflict that builds the suspense, one of the main elements of an exciting story.

I hope these tips help you tell your story. But if you can’t find the time to write that story, Sabi Writers can do it for you!

There will be times as a writer you will start doubting your talent, especially as a fresh face in the industry.

Starting out, your work may not get as much recognition as you may have hoped and you’ll begin to think deeply about whether or not you have enough talent to get ahead. You’ll start criticizing your art, throwing it out in the trash because you figured, if I do it exactly the way my idol does it, I’ll get the attention I deserve.

This not only makes writing difficult for you, but it also takes away your authenticity, and you lose the sense of fun and satisfaction you derive from putting words together.

While trying to find or create a niche for yourself, here are a few things you should NOT do:

1. DON’T feel demoralized: Not everything you write will be loved in the first instant. Sometimes, your clients or audience might express their displeasure or harshly critique your work. Don’t take it to mean you are a terrible writer; instead, embrace it. Let it serve as a guide in the future, and that way, you become better.

2. DON’T ignore the details: Don’t gloss over specifics, hoping that your audience will miss it. Even if they do, you do not want to associate yourself with a mediocre piece of art in the future just because you were too lazy. Do your best and give your best, every time.

3. DON’T give up: It is healthy to take a break when you feel overwhelmed. But don’t stop writing, especially if that’s what makes you happy. Give it a minute, take a breath of fresh air, and dive right back into it. Don’t let anything, not even yourself, steal your voice from you.

4. DON’T stop learning: You can’t pour from an empty jar. If you are not careful, a few seconds of fame and a couple of commendations later, your head will begin to swell. Then you start feeling like you know it all and you don’t have any need for new information. Keep consuming content that keeps you knowledgeable and abreast of times—it shines through your work.

5. DON’T worry too much: Don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked by what someone else is doing. Appreciate their art but don’t dwell on it or use it as a yardstick to measure your creativity. Focus on your craft and hone your skills.

Very importantly, don’t forget that SABI WRITERS is here to help you with all of your writing needs. Contact us today.

One of the lessons you learn early as a writer is the fact that your writing will not resonate with every reader who comes across your work. Not everyone will be thrilled at the thought you express or be impressed with the creativity that flows out of your pen. And this is not because there is something wrong with your work or that you are somehow inferior as a writer. No, that is as far from the truth as you can get.

No matter how famous and well renowned an author or writer is, not everyone will gravitate towards his/her literary piece. Back in school, for instance, while people oohed and aahed over the romantic scribblings of Danielle Steele, there were those who declared her work tedious and overhyped. In the same vein, while some course mates and fellow readers thrilled to the suspense of John Grisham, others opted for a lighter-hearted and fun read. Despite the reputation ChimamandaAdichie has crafted on the African and international literary scene, her work is not accepted by all and sundry.

The truth is that like everything else in life, every work of art and piece of writing has a purpose for which it is intended and a specific audience to which it is addressed. This is one of the beauties of diversity, and it’s a fact that no matter the amount of written works that flood the literary space, there is always a reader available to read it. Even when several books on similar subject matter have been written, the tone with which one writer puts forth the information may appeal to one reader over that of another writer.

Therefore, rather than bemoan the fact that the people you desire to impress and impact do not gravitate towards your writing, it is important instead to identify who your target audience is as a writer and deploy your gifts to their benefit.

How, then, do you do this? Well, here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Identify your core message and writing genre: Your core message simply refers to the central theme of your work and the overall aim and purpose of your writing. This could be business, spiritual, romance, suspense, motivation, among others. As a writer, first identify the message you wish to pass across and get to work on writing it.

2. Identify your specific reader: Once you have identified your core message, the next step is to seek out the category of persons who need the specific piece of written work you wish to produce. A book on breastfeeding, for instance, would be mainly targeted at pregnant and nursing mothers as they are the ones more in need of the information than their unmarried counterparts. Therefore, look for people in the particular demography, whether of age, occupation, career, etc., that you wish to write to.

3. Map out where your audience is likely to hang out: Whether it is online or in a physical space, knowing the places your target audience is likely to hang out makes it easier to connect with them and get your work in their faces. With the world gone largely digital, there is no doubt that most of your readers can be found online. While searching for them on the online sphere, however, ensure you identify the spots they are likely to be found. For example, it is not enough that you know your readers inhabit Facebook, Instagram or Twitter; it is also advised to map out the likely groups and networks formed on these spaces as these intimate places are where people of like minds and passions are sure to converge.

4. Discover the influencers in that space: Now, when you identify the groups and hangouts your likely audience is sure to frequent, the next step is to identify the influencers in that space. Take note of the persons to whom others go to for advice and who have more engagements and impact. Study what books and topics are greatly debated and issues of concern relating to your subject matter that is being discussed. As you gain insight on this, it becomes easier to steer your writings in the direction that appeals to your target audience.

5. Build and leverage on relationships with these influencers: Finally, having identified the influencers in the places where your target audience converge, build a relationship with them and then leverage on this relationship to promote your writing and gain influence. This can be done through mentoring and partnerships.

So, there! You have it. Now that you’ve got these few tips, do not worry anymore about those who do not gravitate towards you as a writer; instead, take time seeking those who need your message.

You were not sent to everyone after all.

Are there more ways you believe can be used to find your target reader audience?Do let us know in the comments section.