 | In The Secrets of Story, Matt Bird makes the sobering observation that it’s tough to capture reader interest in our media-saturated world. But he suggests a variety of ways to strengthen our stories to captivate readers’ hearts and minds, such as a character readers can identify with, scenes that force characters into conflict, and a story structure that keeps readers guessing. Much of the advice on character construction in this book is expanded on in The Secrets of Character, so this review focuses on story- and scene-level techniques. The book covers a wide range of story elements (Concept, Characters, Structure, Scenes, Dialogue, Tone, Theme, and Revision), providing helpful examples to illustrate powerful ways to apply each technique. |
Exposition:
When conveying story information (also called exposition), the author advises: “Don’t give the audience any information they aren’t demanding to know.”
Make whatever facts or background you provide imbued with the character’s attitude and voice. And tell readers only “what they don’t already know.” This avoids annoying repetition.
When conveying story information (also called exposition), the author advises: “Don’t give the audience any information they aren’t demanding to know.”
Make whatever facts or background you provide imbued with the character’s attitude and voice. And tell readers only “what they don’t already know.” This avoids annoying repetition.
 | Heroes: “Every hero must be active and resourceful [plus] clever, and powerfully motivated.” “Once you’ve gotten us to care about the hero, you’ve got a huge resource: We’ll care about anything the hero cares about.” “We love to see heroes’ true motivation established in one scene and then see others unfairly ascribe false motives to them in the next scene. This truly bonds us to a character.” In Sky God’s Warrior, Ayda’s motivations are often unfairly misinterpreted by her nemesis Maqari as well as her own family. |
Story Problem:
“Your story is about your hero’s problem. … Begin the moment the problem begins—no sooner, no later."
“Throughout your story, character should be colliding with plot [events]. The ending is the ultimate collision in which the problem is resolved as both the character and the situation are permanently transformed by their volatile clash.”
“Your story is about your hero’s problem. … Begin the moment the problem begins—no sooner, no later."
“Throughout your story, character should be colliding with plot [events]. The ending is the ultimate collision in which the problem is resolved as both the character and the situation are permanently transformed by their volatile clash.”
To strengthen Scenes:
- There must be conflict between the scene partners.
- As a result, at least one of them should end up doing something he or she didn’t intend to do when the scene began.
- At least one of them should use indirect tricks and traps, not just direct confrontation.
 | Try-Fail: "The hero should be trying and expecting to solve the entire problem in almost every scene. … It takes a huge, hubris-filled failure [to force her to try another way.]" Short stories often have a try-fail, try-fail, try-succeed structure, where the third try is the charm. For example, in "The Three Little Pigs," the straw house fails against the wolf, the house of sticks falls, but the brick house stands. Longer novels can put heroes through multiple failures on many fronts, to incite a deeper, and more meaningful transformation. |
Scene Outcome:
"A scene should have a concrete outcome. The hero’s agenda should either succeed or fail in such a way that things get worse rather than stay the same." Something must change in every scene, for the scene to serve a purpose in the story.
"Irony is any meaningful gap between expectation and reality. [And] the greater the gulf between expectation and outcome, the more meaning a story will have." Characters inevitably expect to gain something entering the scene; irony prevails when they instead lose in the scene's outcome.
"A scene should have a concrete outcome. The hero’s agenda should either succeed or fail in such a way that things get worse rather than stay the same." Something must change in every scene, for the scene to serve a purpose in the story.
"Irony is any meaningful gap between expectation and reality. [And] the greater the gulf between expectation and outcome, the more meaning a story will have." Characters inevitably expect to gain something entering the scene; irony prevails when they instead lose in the scene's outcome.
Dialogue:
"Your goal should be to write dialogue with maximum personality and the minimum amount of clarification you can get away with. The audience doesn’t want you to hold their hand. They want you to play hard to get so they can have the thrill of the chase."
"Your goal should be to write dialogue with maximum personality and the minimum amount of clarification you can get away with. The audience doesn’t want you to hold their hand. They want you to play hard to get so they can have the thrill of the chase."
 | "Stories thrive on tension both external and internal, including the tension between what people say and what they mean. " For this reason, the author advises avoiding on-the-nose character self-insights (I'm too stubborn. OR: I'm insecure from being fostered by relatives.) Another helpful technique: Cut the commas. Not "No, but I need you." Just: "I need you." |
Reader Engagement:
"The best way to keep your readers reading is to make sure they’re always anticipating something that’s about to happen, both in the story as a whole and within each scene."
For example: "Begin a kitchen scene with the toaster lever being forced down. The audience will subconsciously sense the scene will end with the toast popping up."
"The best way to keep your readers reading is to make sure they’re always anticipating something that’s about to happen, both in the story as a whole and within each scene."
For example: "Begin a kitchen scene with the toaster lever being forced down. The audience will subconsciously sense the scene will end with the toast popping up."
Setup and Payoff:
Like dialogue, character behavior, benefits from “setup and payoff.” You show the character behaving one way (being rude and impatient with a slow-walking person) then reverse the behavior to show the character’s internal state has changed (being kind and patient with a slow-walking person). Because the reader is in on the setup, they understand the meaning of the payoff.
An example from Sky God’s Warrior illustrates this with setting.
Like dialogue, character behavior, benefits from “setup and payoff.” You show the character behaving one way (being rude and impatient with a slow-walking person) then reverse the behavior to show the character’s internal state has changed (being kind and patient with a slow-walking person). Because the reader is in on the setup, they understand the meaning of the payoff.
An example from Sky God’s Warrior illustrates this with setting.
Aietos, falling in love, enjoys the vibrant marketplace of Kolkha City:
 | He blinked against the crowded market’s bright, saturated colors. Even the normally pallid sky shone a brilliant azure. The cheerful voices of merchants and traders hawking their wares created a harmonious melody. The market’s aromas were a pleasant blend of piquant spices, sweet baked bread, and savory grilled meats. Aphrodita must’ve pierced his heart. How else to explain the world’s sudden beauty, the fluttering in his chest, and the pulse dancing in his ears? |
After upsetting encounters with the locals:
 | He shoved his way into the irksome stream of rowdy people jamming the thoroughfare outside the woodshop. Stalls along the street displayed pottery painted in raucous colors; textiles woven from vivid reds, glaring yellows, and bold blues; others were stuffed with pungent spices and foul perfumes, or screeching birds in wooden cages. The rancid stench of greasy food and sour bodies clogged the sweltering air. And in every shadowed corner, wretched war refugees reeked of despair. |
The Secrets of Story has many more actionable ideas for creating a compelling reader experience. The author’s final suggestion: “find a way to enjoy (or at least appreciate) your own story as you’re writing it, with a tingling sense of freedom and excitement . . . Because writing is worth doing.
Read another helpful writing book by Matt Bird: The Secrets of Character
Read more excellent advice on writing technique: The Emotional Craft of Fiction, The Fire in Fiction,
Characters, Emotion, & Viewpoint, Story, Writing for Emotional Impact, Techniques of the Selling Writer
Read more excellent advice on writing technique: The Emotional Craft of Fiction, The Fire in Fiction,
Characters, Emotion, & Viewpoint, Story, Writing for Emotional Impact, Techniques of the Selling Writer
