Whatever you create and build, it needs structure. Take a building for example. To start with it needs solid foundations, then comes a sturdy framework around which is attached the fabric of the building. Next comes the décor – the flare of the designer to make that building the best it can be. So your stories need structure too.
Change the metaphor to making a cake. The solid foundation is the cook’s
knowledge of cookery, of how to follow a recipe, of knowing how ingredients
react with one another, of knowing when that cake needs to go in and come out
of the oven. The framework is the
ingredients and how they combine together. The decoration is the special touches that make the cake perfect.
It’s the same when writing a story. Those solid foundations are your skills
as a writer – the knowledge that you’ve learnt so far. The framework is the
many different aspect to a story: characters, setting, viewpoint, plot,
conflict, dialogue, narrative, tense, theme, editing and presentation. The
décor is your personal style and flair;
your descriptions; the depth of the emotion woven into the story; the realism
of your characters; it’s how effective you are in building tension and
atmosphere; it’s those unexpected twists and turns in the plot.
Your story isn’t just a jumble of words, it’s a logical sequence of events
that take the reader from the beginning to the end with increasing conflict, tension and interest along the way. Your story
structure may be vague or highly detailed, or somewhere in between. Think of it
as a guideline that you can follow or veer away from, as you choose.
Don’t worry that plotting and structuring will
hinder your creative streak or stop the characters from developing. Structure is not carved in stone, you can change things
at any time. It is merely a guide, so you don’t get lost and helps to avoid
writing yourself into a dead end. And best of all, if you can see a vague
outline of your story, especially for a book or serial, it’s not quite such a
daunting prospect to get from start to finish.
Planning your story
Take it back to basics – the 3-Act Structure, that is the beginning, the
middle and the end. The structure of the plot might be referred to as the story
arc. The internet has lots of diagrams that help you think about the shape of
your story. You may find them useful – or you may not.
Basically, the story arc is the narrative of your story, showing the
development of characters and plot, the rising and falling of character’s
emotions; the rising and falling of the drama, with everything leading up to
the climax of the story – make or break time. Then comes the resolution, the
results of what becomes of the characters after the climax, the dénouement, the final act that
shows how the character has evolved and grown.
I always find it best to start the story where
there is a change to your protagonist’s routine, something different is
happening in their life. It could be creating a problem or it could be the
opposite. You could start with an interesting line of
dialogue or some narrative. Whatever those first lines
are, make them hook the reader for some reason and make them want to read on. If your beginning is flat and dull don’t go thinking that’s
okay because it really livens up on page ten because your reader may never get
that far.
Here’s a few examples of opening lines to some of
my books:
Without a doubt, Philippe Beaulieu was as
magnificent as the pictures he painted. (Champagne Harvest)
‘Hexe!’ The word rippled around the chamber
softly, barely audible, like a breath of wind. (The Bitter End)
The fog came down before midnight. (Kill or Die)
Karbel’s yellow eyes sparkled as a shaft of
sunlight glanced off the rock. (The Beast)
That opening scene is so important. It is where you will interest a reader or
editor, or lose them forever. So,
make those opening sentences as alluring as possible. Don’t try to explain
everything at once or even establish the logic behind the words. All can become
clear later, once you’ve got the reader on board.
At the beginning of your story you introduce your
main character, you set the scene, and establish the conflict – or at least
hint at it. It helps if your protagonist has a goal – something they are
desperate to achieve. Make sure this is something worth struggling for – and
that applies whether you’re writing a book for a toddler, or a hard-nosed
detective story. It’s just as vital for a two-year-old to find her lost teddy,
as it is for the serial killer to be apprehended.
At this stage you probably don’t have all the
events and action sorted in your head. These will come gradually as characters interact with one another. However, there may
be key incidents that you know should occur, so you could jot these down as
bullet points in your story outline. You may also want to introduce other
threads or sub plots into your story.
You will certainly want to make the problems for
your protagonist worsen. Incidents will undoubtedly occur to you as your
characters develop. Note these points down so you can see
the shape of your story. Make sure your character’s problems are not resolved too early and the
pace of the story is progressing nicely.
I tend to think in scenes, with each scene carrying the story forward and character’s
problems growing more difficult all the time. One problem or dilemma should
lead to another on the journey towards the climax and ultimate conclusion to
your story. Basically, give your character a hard time and don’t let them get
out of trouble too easily.
You may or may not know how your story will end,
but you can remind yourself here to tie up all loose ends of your storylines
and sub plots – before the climax of the story. The climax of the story should
be the most dramatic of scenes, so don’t risk diluting the
main action by tying up the loose ends at that point.
The climax is where your protagonist wins or loses,
achieves his goal or fails. At the crucial black spot of the story, let him or
her win or lose through their own actions or decisions – don’t bring in the
cavalry.
This will be the most intense struggle your character has yet had to face.
This is the point where you really want your readers to be rooting for your
protagonist. Should they fail, at least let them have learnt something
important along the way. Give some ray of hope even to the saddest of endings.
Endings to avoid
· Do not cheat your reader by some surprise
twist that is not in the least believable such as a mistake or misunderstanding
that could have been sorted out at any time.
· Do not cheat your reader by the
introduction of some character or random incident/coincidence that has not been
part of your story throughout.
· Do not leave the reader dangling in the
air with unanswered questions. Unless of course, that’s your intention with a
sequel waiting in the wings.
· And please do not let your character
suddenly realise it had all been a dream.
Today’s exercise:
Your
character is on a mission! Determined to do something but things go wrong. Try
and devise a plot, with a beginning, middle and end that sees that character
facing those problems and achieving their goal, but only after a lot of
difficulty. Let one obstacle cause inner conflict in the
character, that is, they are struggling against a personal trait or belief of
theirs.
Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photograph.
Read all of my writing tips in Become a Writer, a step by step guide. https://amzn.to/3487fws
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