Add Depth to Your Writing by Creating a Mosaic of Tiny Stories

Charlie Jane Anders says that to add depth and interest to your writing, you should create a mosaic of tiny stories.

Characters have a story, even side characters or background characters, and you should include tiny breadcrumbs about these stories to make them seem more real. Places and things also have stories, and including these in your writing will make your world feel rich, layered and lived in. Even (and especially) if the setting is the real world.

But how do you create this mosaic of tiny stories?

Imagine your hometown, where you grew up or lived the longest. You know all the little stories that make up the tapestry of its history. You know about the kebab shop that burned down, the pub that had to get a new name because it was shut down for drug use. You know about the alleyways that no one willingly walks down after dark; the best place in town to get fish and chips, even if they've gone downhill since old man Butterworth retired. No one knows how the hair salons stay in business because there's more of them than your small town could ever need.

These are the tiles in your mosaic. Including these details adds life to your setting when you introduce the town. But it also gives depth to your characters.

The fish and chips have gone downhill because old man Butterworth left the business to his son but refused to hand over his secret recipe for batter. The guy who works at the supermarket went down the alleyway everyone's afraid of, and that's how he got his scars. Your protagonist was responsible for both burning down the kebab shop and getting the pub renamed before they turned their life around.

These little stories can really set the tone for your bigger story, help make it creepy, or tragic or idyllic. And they're an opportunity to showcase your individual voice.

See how many stories you can fit into your story and watch your world come to life.

Source: https://buttondown.email/charliejane/archive/dont-just-create-one-big-story-build-a-mosaic-of/

Planted: Saturday 29 April 2023
Last tended: Monday 23 June 2025