When I first started writing, I had this idea that storytelling was something you either “got” or didn’t.
There were storytellers—the people who could hold a room with their words—and then there was the rest of us, fumbling through anecdotes that fell flat.
But over time, I realized something that should have been obvious from the start:
Storytelling is a skill.
And like any skill, it’s full of small, fixable mistakes that can completely change how your audience reacts to what you’re saying.
I’ve spent years learning from other writers, marketers, and even animators, trying to understand why some stories stick while others fizzle out.
Along the way, I’ve found a few common mistakes that show up again and again, regardless of medium.
I’ve made most of these mistakes myself (and still do, sometimes). But I’ve learned a few things about how to fix them along the way.
Here are the three most common storytelling mistakes I see—whether it’s in a novel, a brand narrative, or just trying to tell a good story over dinner (and how to avoid them).
1. The “And then” trap
Ever tried to summarize a story like this?
“I went to the forest, and then I found a sword, and then a dragon appeared, and then I ran away.”
It’s technically a story. But it’s not a good one.
The problem? It’s a list of events, not a sequence of cause and effect.
Great stories don’t just move forward—they create connections. Your audience needs to feel that one thing leads to another, not just that they happen in order.
Think of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings. He doesn’t just pick up the One Ring and then decide to destroy it. The discovery of the Ring introduces danger, which pushes Frodo to seek help, which forces him to leave the Shire. Every action has a consequence, creating a chain reaction that pulls the audience in.
The Fix: Use “but” and “so”
The creators of South Park have a rule for avoiding this trap:
Replace “and then” with but or so.
Instead of:
“Frodo finds the Ring, and then he leaves the Shire,” try:
“Frodo finds the Ring, but it attracts dark forces to the Shire. So he must leave to protect his home.”
See the difference? Now there’s tension. One event creates a problem that leads to the next.
This works in brand storytelling too. Instead of saying, “We started a business, and then we launched a product, and then people bought it,” try:“We launched a product, but customers struggled to use it. So we redesigned it with their feedback, and sales skyrocketed.”
2. The Soggy Middle
Every story has a beginning, middle, and end.
The beginning hooks us, and the ending gives us closure.
But the middle? That’s where things go wrong.
Writers call it the soggy middle—the part of the story where momentum stalls, the plot meanders, and the audience starts checking their phone.
In fiction, the soggy middle happens when characters lose agency. They react to events instead of driving them. Think of a detective story where the protagonist spends chapters waiting for a clue to fall into their lap, instead of actively solving the mystery.
The Fix: Build a strong bridge
The middle of your story is where the promise you made at the start gets fulfilled. It’s the progress that keeps your audience invested.
Here’s how to avoid the soggy middle:
- Clarify your story’s purpose. Why are you telling this story? What’s the resolution you’re building toward?
- Map out your steps. In fiction, this means creating turning points—moments where the protagonist faces challenges, makes decisions, and moves closer to the resolution. In marketing, this could be showing how your product solves a series of customer pain points.
- Cut the fluff. Every scene, paragraph, or slide should move the story forward. If it doesn’t, leave it out.
3. The Inactive Protagonist
This mistake is subtle but deadly.
If your protagonist isn’t making choices, your audience will lose interest.
Great stories are about characters who take action. They face challenges, make decisions, and deal with the consequences. If your protagonist is just sitting there while things happen around them, the story falls flat.
Imagine Star Wars if Luke Skywalker never leaves Tatooine. Or The Hunger Games if Katniss doesn’t volunteer for Prim. These stories work because the protagonists make bold choices that drive the plot forward.
The Fix: Show agency
Ask yourself:
- What decisions is the protagonist making?
- What risks are they taking?
- How are they shaping the outcome?
Even in brand storytelling, your customer is the protagonist. Show how they take action—choosing your product, solving their problem, and achieving their goal.
Writing Update
This is a new section that I’ll include in every issue moving forward. Not because anyone has asked me to mind you, but simply because it’s a way for me to look back on my writing progress publicly (something that is usually reserved for me, myself and my Word Document).
I am currently working on the First Draft of a fantasy novel (my first attempt at writing anything fiction), which—besides my business—is my main project and something I aim to have finished by 2025.
Should you be interested, you can read the blurb below:
The city of New Victoria hums with the grinding gears of progress, but beneath its polished surface, the shadows stir with ancient warnings.
Whispers of long-forgotten prophecies echo through the city’s smog-choked alleys, foretelling the return of a power that could unmake the world.
Following the untimely death of the unwed queen, a newly formed ruling council attempts to maintain order in the industrial metropolis, where technological marvels are powered by an enigmatic material, slowly losing its potency.
All the while murders with ties to prophecies of old threaten the realm, three lost souls must find their way, as they each navigate the city’s decay as well as their own demons:
A former criminal, forced back into the city’s underworld to prove his brother’s innocence.
A noblewoman bored to death by politics but with the weight of her bloodline on her shoulders.
A scholar obsessed with uncovering the secrets of the Lost Architects and how they seemingly vanished overnight.
Their paths intertwine in a quest to unearth the truth behind the grisly murders, drawing them closer to a perilous truth that seeks to cleanse the city of both the sinners and sanctified.
The current word count sits around 100k, with the final word count probably being closer to 180k.
It’s been a slow process so far, which is partly because of a lack of any real outline for the first third of writing the book.
Since having properly outlined the entire book I’ve found the writing much smoother and less straining.
Let’s see where it goes.
Thank you for reading. If you found this newsletter valuable, feel free to share it with others who might benefit.
Until next time,