Practice makes perfect. Try telling short, simple stories at first. You can start with something like 'The time I lost my keys'. As you get more comfortable, expand to more complex stories. Also, pay attention to your body language if you're telling the story in person. Standing up straight and using hand gestures can make the story more engaging.
It's very normal. Telling fiction stories demands not only imagination but also a good understanding of how to structure a story, develop characters, and create engaging plots. If you haven't had much practice or training in these areas, it's natural to have a hard time. Don't worry, with practice, you can improve.
To make your scary stories more effective, build a connection between the listener and the characters in the story. Make them care about what happens to the characters. You can do this by giving the characters relatable traits. Also, use sensory details. Describe not only what the characters see, but also what they hear, smell, and feel. For example, 'She could feel the cold, clammy hand of the ghost on her shoulder as a chill wind blew through the room, carrying with it the smell of death...' This makes the story more immersive and scarier.
One way to get better at telling stories is to record yourself when you try. Listen back and note what parts seem unclear or boring. Also, focus on using vivid descriptions. Instead of just saying 'a big house', you could say 'a huge, imposing mansion with ivy creeping up its stone walls'.
One thing you can do is to watch movies or TV shows based on fiction stories. Pay attention to how the story unfolds, how the characters are developed, and the overall narrative arc. Also, join a writing group or workshop. There, you can get feedback from others and learn from their experiences. Try to brainstorm ideas freely without worrying about grammar or structure at first. Just let your imagination run wild.
To get better at telling fiction stories, try using prompts. There are many online resources that offer writing prompts for fiction. These can spark your creativity. Another tip is to study the elements of a good story, like setting, conflict, and resolution. Analyze how your favorite fiction stories use these elements. Then, when you start writing your own, you can apply what you've learned. You might also find it helpful to keep a journal where you jot down interesting ideas for stories as they come to you.
You can try the 'Random Word' exercise. Pick three random words, say 'tree', 'key' and 'cloud', and then create a fictional story that incorporates all these words. Also, there's the 'Character Interview' exercise. Create a character in your mind, and then interview it as if it were a real person. Ask about its backstory, desires, and fears. This can help you develop characters for your stories.
One tip is to have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Start by introducing the setting and characters. In the middle, build up the conflict or main event. End with a resolution. For example, in a story about a lost dog, start with the dog getting lost in the park, then the search efforts in the middle, and finally the happy reunion at the end.
Firstly, do your research on the source material. Know all the details, the backstories of the characters, and the overall theme. Secondly, focus on the relationship development. In making out stories, it's important to show how the characters' feelings for each other grow. Thirdly, proofread your work. Simple grammar and spelling mistakes can detract from the overall quality. For example, if you're writing about a romantic relationship between two characters from a detective show, make sure the detective - like qualities of the characters still shine through in the story.
You can make longer stories by creating more complex relationships between characters. Instead of just having friends and enemies, create relationships like rivals who also respect each other, or former friends who have a complicated past. This gives you more to write about when it comes to their interactions. Also, add more internal monologues for your characters. Let the readers know what the characters are thinking and feeling in more detail, which can significantly increase the length of your story.
One tip is to have simple and relatable characters. For example, a little boy or girl, an animal like a friendly dog or a curious cat. Kids can easily connect with these characters.