How to make your stories memorable

 As English author, Philip Pullman, wrote: “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”
 From the moment humans made sense of their primitive grunts, they told stories, to entertain, educate and communicate.
 Our lives are filled with stories, which is why people in the US spend an average of 444 minutes (7.4 hours) every day, looking at screens. A study by Mary Meeker, Morgan Stanley internet analyst and current partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, broke that number down to: 147 minutes spent watching TV, 103 minutes in front of a computer, 151 minutes on a smartphones and 43 minutes with a tablet.
 And the US only places sixth on the screen-time list! In Indonesia, people spend nine hours a day on their computers, TVs, laptops and smartphones.
 While some of that time involves non-story activities, working on spreadsheets or databases etc., the fact remains, the world wants good stories.

Good news and Bad news

 That is the good news.
 The bad news is, there are more stories out there now than ever before and the competition for eyeballs, as well as the din of the clutter is overwhelming.
 Today it is easier than ever to fling your story to the world. Want to publish a book? No problem, you can do so for free in digital format with Amazon and Smashwords. Old-style paper publishing? Again free if you use Create Space and Lulu - they'll print and deliver directly to your readers and pay you a cut.
 It is an exciting time to be a writer. It is also a difficult time. The democratization of publishing has opened the doors to all and, as a result, there is an enormous amount of literary detritus on offer that previously was filtered by traditional publishing houses and never saw the light of day.
 Now, readers 'pays their money and takes their chances' and filtering comes in the form of reader-reviews. Negative reviews can destroy months of hard work and stories that aren't memorable, will get negative reviews!
 So how can you make your stories memorable?
 According to Udemy, the leading marketplace for online education, there are 13 Great Storytelling Techniques To Make Your Stories Memorable:

1. Show it
Great and influential stories do not “tell”, they “show”. 

2. Length mattersStories can be really short or as long as a book but your long story ceases to be a story the moment it becomes boring.

3. Likable characterCharacters can be and should be flawed because this is what makes them real.  Your character also needs to be likeable because you want your audience to be pulling for them to succeed. 

4. There should be a plotA plot serves as the guiding force in your story.  It helps ensure there is a beginning, middle, and end, and all of the fun stuff in between.

5. Foreshadowing
Nothing is more exciting to a listener or reader than realizing that the storyteller or author is revealing clues throughout the story.

6. Keep the dialogue real
 A good way to check and see if your dialogue sounds good is to read it aloud. 

7. Conflict
Will the main character succeed?  How will the conflict be resolved?  This is the reason your audience will stay engaged.

8. Use a model
There are many common narratives most stories follow.  These include the hero’s journey, the coming of age tale, and an anecdote.  Try taking a common narrative and applying it to your own story.

9. Add a personal touch
If you are creating a story to entertain, draw on your own life experiences to add to the story as this will make your story feel more authentic.

10. Point of View
If you find your story lacking, try changing your point of view.  Third person point of views tend to be the most common.  Try telling your story from a first person point of view. 

11. Start with a bang!
Get your audience involved right away by starting your story with a bang.

12. Know what you are trying to convey
What is the purpose of this story?  Is it to entertain?  To relay a message?  To teach a lesson?

13. The delivery
The final delivery method matters.  You might have to change your story up a bit to ensure it is being told in the most beneficial manner.