The one thing all good writers have in common is the ability to tell stories. Stories draw us in. And when we read good stories from a particular author, we want to go back when that author tells more stories.

It’s as if a transaction is always occurring just below the surface between author and reader.

“Listen to me?” the author asks.

“Is what you’re saying worth my attention?” the reader replies.

Notice the economic language related to attention. Is this worth my attention? He pays attention. Our attention is valuable, as any advertiser will tell you. And in a world where powerful forces constantly vie for it, good storytellers win.

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Fine. Stories are important. But what kinds of stories? It’s easy to get stuck in a rut, telling the same story, or the same kind of story, over and over again.

The purpose of this post is to blow the lid off the different types of stories we tell. When it comes to narrative sources, we don’t live in a black and white world of one or two types. This is a world of Technicolor, full of all kinds of possibilities.

Here are 5 different story types (plus some bonus types) that can make your writing irresistible.

1. Metaphor Stories

Sometimes explaining a principle metaphorically illuminates the story in a way straight prose could never do.

Recently I was talking with a group of writers about the importance of developing their book concepts around a need or desire their readers have.

To bring my point home, I told them about my five-year-old daughter. For a while now she’s wanted to ride in a convertible. Well, she recently completed Kindergarten, and to celebrate we rented a yellow Mustang convertible to tool around in for a weekend.

As I pulled around the corner, a song from the Disney film Moana blaring through the speakers, first she was stunned. And then she danced around the lawn and in the car and on the driveway and then in my arms.

Your readers will be equally appreciative if you fulfill their desires, I told them, if you meet their needs.

That’s a metaphor story.

2. Stories from Other People’s Lives

Chris Guillebeau just announced his new book Side Hustle: Build a Side Business and Make Extra Money without Quitting Your Day Job. I have a strong hunch his book will be full of examples of people pursuing their “side hustle.” I believe so because he currently hosts a podcast, Side Hustle School, in which every day for a year he is profiling a side hustler.

What’s he doing there? Guillebeau is illustrating how to go about building a side business by showing you others who have done so.

3. Composite Stories

Sometimes we want to tell a story that might involve a breach of privacy or casting a person in a possibly unfavorable light. One way to do this is with a composite story.

Psychologists and coaches sometimes do this in stories about clients. A memoirist might use a composite story about someone who’s been harmful in her life. They change some aspect or a few aspects about a person to disguise them. Doing so grants these writers the freedom they need to make a point or fill in a narrative gap.

4. Autobiographical Stories

Autobiographical stories are stories from your life, which is straightforward enough, but I want to underscore the credibility and persuasiveness of autobiographical stories even in serious works of analysis or journalism.

I think of the most viewed TED talk, for example, by Sir Ken Robinson. His talk is about a very important issue, namely, how we educate our children. But he opens with a humorous story about his child’s school play. It’s very effective.

Sometimes academics and journalists assume they’re not allowed to refer to their own lives in their work, but I would argue otherwise. Sometimes a story from your life adds something that lightens or illuminates your work in a compelling way.

5. Data-based Stories

If I tell you homicide and suicide are serious issues for today’s teenagers, you have one reaction. But if tell you homicide and suicide are two of the top three leading causes of death for teenagers, my guess is you have quite a different reaction.

That may not be a story in a strict definition of the term, but it definitely gets the point across in a more concrete way. The right data can help you underscore your point and give it the weight it deserves.

I’ll quickly move some other story types for you to consider:

Stories from Literature. Using stories from literature adds gravitas and legitimacy to your writing.

Stories from Movies. Naturally these stories often have a visual aspect that’s very engaging.

Stories from History. Historical stories can have an educational quality that is gratifying for readers.

Dialogical stories. These are stories that involve dialogue between two or more individuals. Very effective in sparking the reader’s imagination.

Funny Stories. These are not always appropriate, of course, but there’s nothing like a humorous tale to keep the reader reading!

Question: Which of these types of stories do you plan to use? You can leave a comment by clicking here.