30 Dec The Algo of Writing Stories
From “I Can’t Write” to “I’m a Writer”
The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller.
~ Steve Jobs
Sheetal walked in hesitantly. Not physically, of course – writers often arrive by email, WhatsApp, or a slightly apologetic phone call – but the hesitation is mostly the same.
“I don’t think I know how to write, but I wish I could,” she said. Not dramatically. Not self-pitying. Just a plain, honest statement. Like someone confessing they don’t know how to swim while standing waist-deep in water.
We’ve heard this sentence more times than we can count. It usually comes from people who have lived interesting lives, noticed interesting things, and thought interesting thoughts, yet they are somewhat convinced that storytelling is some rare genetic mutation they were born without.
We love to engage with such folks. Not because we know the ending (perhaps, we do a bit), but because this is where a good story usually begins, when a storyteller starts realising they have potential.
1. The conversation begins
We do not start with grammar. Or vocabulary. Or “show, don’t tell” tips and tricks.
Instead, we asked Sheetal about a moment. Something unresolved. A decision that still bothers her. A memory that refuses to sit quietly.
She paused. Then smiled. Then, gradually, she began talking.
A moment later, we stopped her gently.
“That,” we said, “is you ‘opening a curiosity loop’.”
She blinked, “Is that good?”
“It’s essential, it’s most important – Any writer needs a theme, a context, a parallel world,” we replied.
We explained that stories don’t start with perfection; they start with incompleteness. A question. A twist. A loose thread the brain wants to tug at.
She nodded slowly, as if realising he’d been doing this unconsciously all his life.
2. One story, not many
As she spoke more, she began packing multiple ideas into the same breath – childhood, career, regret, humour, philosophy…
We interrupted again.
“Tell one story.” Just one. One spine. One heartbeat.
The mind remembers better when it processes less. That clarity isn’t dumbing down; it’s sharpening.
She laughed and said this explained why her WhatsApp messages confused even herself.
3. Where’s the problem?
Then came the part most new writers skip.
“The outcome is nice,” we said, “but where’s the struggle?”
Stories breathe through obstacles. Tension isn’t drama for drama’s sake; it’s the friction that creates heat, empathy, and attention.
She realised he’d been writing like a résumé… only results, no resistance.
“This,” she said quietly, “is where a story can get honest.”
The story of the journey is crucial; the destination may, or may not, come eventually.
4. Paint it, don’t explain it
Next, we nudged her away from explanations.
“Don’t tell us it was a difficult day. Show us the cracked mug, the missed train, the unsent message, the chippings on the wall…”
Write scenes, not slogans.
She smiled again, this time like someone discovering a secret door in a familiar house.
5. Emotion first, facts later
She wanted to justify everything. Context, logic, background.
We asked him to reverse the order. Background, Context, Logic.
“Lead with emotion,” we said. “Facts can follow. They’re better once emotion opens the door.”
This made immediate sense to her.
We remember stories that make us feel long before they said something.
6. The ticking clock
We added one more ingredient.
“Put your story on a clock.”
Deadlines, last chances, vanishing moments – time sharpens attention. Without it, stories drift. With it, they move.
She scribbled notes furiously now, her hesitation vanishing quickly.
7. Close the loop
Finally, we asked her to return to where she began.
“Echo the beginning at the end. Close the loop.”
Patterns comfort the brain. Completion satisfies it.
This is why endings matter, not as fireworks, but as quiet clicks of recognition.
She leaned back. Silent for a moment.
Then he said, “I think I know how and what to write.”
8. Three weeks later
Sheetal returned.
This time, there was no apology in his voice.
“I’ve a story completed,” she said, “Would you include it in TWAGAA’s new anthology?”
Her story was not perfect. They seldom are. That’s where our editorial team steps in. Her story already had tension, clarity, emotion, and ending… and our editorial team polished it up a bit.
Sheetal hadn’t learned only how to write, She learned how stories work.
And that makes all the difference.
So, where is your story? 🙂
At TWAGAA, we are bringing like-minded people who are storytellers and need a nudge to become writers, authors, bestsellers.
Subscribe to our mailers to stay in touch about the next anthology in the making, where your story must be present.
At TWAGAA, we don’t believe writers are born.
We believe stories are waiting – patiently – for someone to understand how to let them out.
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The Storytellers Checklist
- Open a curiosity loop
- Tell one story
- Add real tension
- Make it visual
- Lead with emotion
- Add a ticking clock
- Echo the beginning at the end
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Do you need help to start and complete your story? Contact us today. Join our mailing list to get our posts regularly.
Image Source: Shutterstock
* Names Changed