Do you have these amazing stories in your head that you are itching to get out? Perhaps you are watching an emotional movie scene, and you feel inspired to open a document and write. After writing for a while, nothing about your story makes sense. You don’t have a solid plot, the characters feel inconsistent, and nothing in your story makes sense.
That’s usually how storytelling goes in the first draft. It does not usually make sense in the beginning. However, if you are in the editing stage and you want to know how to make your story make sense, then this post is for you.
Why Some Stories Don’t Make Sense
Some stories don’t make sense because there’s a lack of structure or connection between the elements. A story makes sense when its structure, plot, characters, and theme are all aligned, and every event is purposeful, leading naturally toward a satisfying ending.
In other words, your story only exists in its own context. The character and the plot can only exist in that world you have created, and they only make sense if there’s enough context and logic behind it.
For example, a character can’t exist in a vacuum. They have an identity, a family, a home, duties, and needs. If you were to put a character into a story, you would need to create a world in which they could exist and have all of those things. You would need to give them a purpose and an end goal, and the readers only know that if you tell them. If you never mentioned the protagonist’s parents, then they might as well assume the parents died in a plane crash.
Here are some other reasons why a story might not make sense:
Inconsistent character behavior: Characters make decisions that do not align with who they are and their motivations. This is when a character “acts out of character.”
Lack of cause and effect: When an event happens with no context to it, and no consequences follow. It can also be referred to as a “plot hole.”
Unclear story structure: When there’s no clear beginning, middle, or end. Events happen out of order, or there’s no correlation between different events.
Random subplot: When a subplot doesn’t support the main storyline and doesn’t fit the theme of the story. It’s simply a subplot that’s there to fill the page.
Everyone is irrational: All the characters are short-sighted, and the plot relies on misunderstandings.
The Role of Story Structure in Clarity
Story structure is the glue that holds your narrative together. It’s a framework that gives your story a direction and a set of “rules” that the audience is familiar with. It helps you decide what happens, when it happens, and why it matters.
When I refer to story structure as rules, what I mean is that they’re suggestions that can enhance your story. Think of it like a blueprint. There are countless stories out there, and many of the ones that survive the passage of time follow structures like the three-act story structure. You have a clear beginning, middle, and ending. You can plan the events accordingly, logically, and smoothly, while you keep a red thread throughout the story. It breaks up the writing process into manageable steps.
Following a story structure doesn’t hinder your creativity. It’s simply a format in which the story needs to be told. It helps make your story make sense both to you and anyone who reads it. Which takes you one step closer to sharing your story with the world.
Read more about story structure here and choose the right one for your narrative.
How Knowing Your Ending Helps Your Story
One of the most effective ways to make your story make sense is to know how the story ends. Many writers like to figure out their ending before they do anything else. Other writers are figuring it out on the way. Both types of writers are valid, and there are many ways to write a book.
However, if you know your ending, you know what needs to happen to get there. In other words, you’ll know how to steer the plot and give the protagonist the right tool to get the preferred ending.
How working backwards can help:
Define the protagonist transformation: What does your protagonist need to learn before the resolution for transformation to take place? For example, the heroine leaves her toxic husband in the end and pursues her dream of becoming a shoemaker. For that to happen, she needs to realize her worth. Furthermore, what you need to do is test her character in multiple ways throughout the story to give her the right tools.
Follow the map: every event, incident, and minor detail should push the plot towards the ending. You know what will happen; make it happen. Stay on the path and make sure to tie all threads at the end like a nice bow.
Foreshadow your resolution: leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the readers to find. The ending should be a surprise, not a shock. When everything comes to an end, the readers can identify the hints that you left behind and see how it all made sense from the beginning.
Avoid accidental endings: if the story isn’t cohesive and doesn’t connect at all. The readers can see that and make the payoff less satisfying. When they come to the end, they should be able to look back and see the path clearly.
Writing a Complex but Coherent Plot
Sometimes your story doesn’t make sense because the plot is too complex. There is too much of everything, and the readers get lost in the mess. Admittedly, many writers mistake a complex story with a confusing one. Complexity comes from elements like theme, storylines, and character arcs. Not from chaos.
Signs your story is too complex:
- Too many characters or too many points of view.
- Multiple storylines that don’t connect.
- An excessive amount of plot twists.
- Characters with no real motivation.
When this happens, your story loses focus, and so do the readers. It’s taking attention from the message you are trying to communicate and making all your efforts to craft the story be in vain. Nevertheless, there are ways to make a complex story digestible.
Make sure each subplot ties back to the theme:
- Every plot point should affect the one that comes after.
- Don’t add a plot twist for shock value.
- Ask for feedback from a beta reader.
Tying Every Plot Point to Your Theme
Even if your narrative has a solid structure, it can feel random. One common reason is that your story is built around a deeper message. The theme, your theme, is like the invisible thread that ties everything together: the plot, the characters, and the events all reflect it in some way.
Let us look at it like this:
- Your plot is what happens.
- The character is who it happens to.
- Your theme is why it matters.
If these elements do not work together, the story will feel like a collection of events. You need to tie everything back to your theme. It’s the glue that keeps all the components of a story together.
The Key Steps to Make Your Story Make Sense
We have discussed many abstract concepts in this post, and I broke them down as best I could. However, the thing about storytelling is that there’s no right way to do it. Many different paths lead to the same destination. It’s up to you to find the one that works for you, which is much easier said than done. Take what you learned in this article with a grain of salt and start making sense out of your story.
