The 5 Key Elements of Story

Understand what makes a story so you can make your story great.

UPDATE, FEBRUARY 2022: I'm moving my courses. Click here to access them. To access this course specifically, click here.

Do you or do you not have a story on your hands?

At the end of the day it's simple: what publishers, agents, and readers want is writing they can't set down. This goes for memoirs and character-driven literary stories as much as it goes for thrillers and romance novels.

This free introductory class on the crucial elements of story is included in the Story Momentum course, which examines various techniques to achieve maximum momentum in your writing. Here, I discuss these essential elements, which provide the foundation for most of my critiques of stories.

You simply don't have a story unless you have these five elements.

In this course, you'll gain a better understanding of how the elements of story work and how to ramp them up in order engage the audience more profoundly. At the end of this course, you’ll come away with some very focused questions to ask of your own work, and you’ll be better equipped to see exactly what might be missing from your story.

There's even a workbook!

Both beginning and seasoned storytellers can benefit from a deeper understanding of story. You'll get more from the class if you have a draft of a story you can work with, but none is required.



Your Instructor


TD Storm
TD Storm

TD Storm is an award-winning writer and teacher whose stories have appeared in a number of journals. His passion for storytelling and its inner workings inform his teaching, editing, and mentoring. He has worked with countless writers on personal essays, novels, short stories, and more. And he's been teaching since 1999.

Want to know more about TD Storm? Check out the About page for the school.

Want to know more about his approach toward writing and teaching writing? Look at this post on the "Core Tenets of Storm Writing School."

Is he the right teacher for you? Look, this class may or may not be right for you, but TD Storm is the real deal when it comes to writing instruction and editing. He has yet to meet a writer he couldn't help. Seriously, this guy friggin' rocks. (He's much more humble when he writes in first person, by the way. Very down to earth.)


Course Curriculum


  The Essential Elements of Story
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


Will this course actually benefit my writing?
The only thing that can truly benefit your writing is you, working at it. But this course discusses some very important concepts--things I see many writers, both novice and seasoned, get wrong. And hey, at the end of the class, there's a free workbook.
When does the class start and finish?
The class starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online class - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.

Get started now!