How To Write A Song That Tells A Story (5-Step Narrative Journey)

Want to learn how to tell a story in a song?

In the simplest form, a story is a progression from one place to another – either to a better place or a worse one. To effectively tell a story, you need to include different waypoints that guide listeners through the narrative.

In this blog post, we will cover how you can achieve that by integrating five fundamental waypoints into your song lyrics.

A story is a progression. If nothing changes from beginning to end, it’s not a story—it’s just the same old thing. To take your listeners on a narrative journey, ensure that there’s progression, guided by different waypoints.

An inciting interaction is an event that disturbs someone's life, causing an immediate change. This disturbance can be positive or negative, significant or minor, but it must come from the external world. Whatever the disturbance, it forces the character to deal with something new and unexpected.

At this stage, the character realizes they have a problem. This realization is internal, making it a subjective problem that the character must individually address. The problem affects the character deeply, demanding attention and resolution.

The character faces a difficult this-or-that choice—a dilemma with high stakes. They must prioritize their values and decide what is the best bad choice or the irreconcilable good choice for them. This is an internal struggle where the character considers their priorities and values. They will have to make an outcome prediction while there is a lot at stake and they will have to make a sacrifice by choosing between option A or B.

The climax is the internal decision externalized - put into action, showing the character’s true priorities. This action reveals the character’s true nature and what they value most under pressure.

The resolution shows the consequences of the decision made at the climax. It wraps up the story and demonstrates how everything turned out. This provides closure to the narrative journey, reinforcing the song's central message.

"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

• Inciting Interaction: Breakup

• Turning Point: Ex-partner shows up again

• Crisis: Love or Self-Actualization

• Climax: Kicking the ex out

• Resolution: She survives and moves on

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem

• Inciting Interaction: Stage fright

• Turning Point: Understanding the stakes

• Crisis: Take the shot or miss it

• Climax: Performing

• Resolution: Encouragement to others

"Flowers" by Miley Cyrus

• Inciting Interaction: Breakup

• Turning Point: Self-empowerment

• Crisis: Fight for him or leave him

• Climax: She forgives and moves on

• Resolution: Self-love and independence

To tell a compelling story in a song, you must incorporate these five waypoints: inciting interaction, turning point, crisis, climax, and resolution.

These elements help you create a narrative journey that resonates with your listeners, providing a meaningful takeaway.

If you'd like to see this concept applied in songs, follow this link below to see the 5 narrative waypoints in popular song examples.