Stories need structure

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.   

The Beginning

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.

The Middle

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.

The End

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.

Tomorrow: The plot thickens.

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

Making an impression

As in real life, first impressions count, so aim to create a clear picture when you first introduce a character into your story. I’m not suggesting you write a large chunk of description that would only slow the story down. But try to get across an image of that character for the reader to instantly form a picture and an opinion. Be sure your character is making an impression.

You don’t have to tell the reader everything about your character – and certainly not all in one go. But it is important when you first introduce a character that you reveal in some way the most important aspect of their appearance early on. For instance, if you don’t reveal that the hero has a long black beard until chapter eight when the heroine gets her engagement ring tangled in it, will completely throw the reader. Provide enough description for the reader to form an accurate picture in their mind rather than an incorrect impression. Then add to this as the story progresses.

 

By having your character doing something as you introduce them will allow you to convey something of their appearance, their personality and their mood. It may even hint at the conflict to come. Showing your character doing something will conjure up a picture for the reader to hang on to. Be aware that the way a character walks and moves says a lot about them – and remember that a character’s current mood will affect their mannerisms and conduct. 

Think to yourself what this character was doing immediately before you introduce them onto the page. Characters have backgrounds, and unless your character has just been beamed down from the ether, he or she will have been doing something just before you brought them

into your story. Whatever they were doing, thinking and feeling will affect their mood right at that moment.  

Last impressions - killing your darlings.

We writers are a funny bunch – we slave blood, sweat and tears to create the most realistic, unique, interesting and memorable characters and then, very often, we dispose of them in the most tragic of circumstances.

Even when we’re not killing off our darlings, we’re putting them through the most traumatic of situations, heaping troubles and burdens on their paper-thin shoulders and pushing them to the limits of endurance. And I thought writers were such nice people!

But it has to be done. If you’re going to create a story that will grip the reader, then you must create characters which evoke some sort of emotion in the reader. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to make the reader like your character. It’s perfectly fine to make the reader hate the character, or be infuriated with them, or pity them, or any other emotion. So long as the reader feels something towards them. The thing you don’t want is for the reader not to care.

Writing a death scene

So, when the time comes in your story where one of your characters must come to a sticky end, what do you need to do, to make sure you write the death scene to the best of your ability?

Here’s a few points worth remembering:

• Make sure you’re created a character that the reader is interested in. Let them have a backstory, a personality; work to achieve the emotional response in the reader that you intend. So, when they pop their clogs it will mean something to the reader – sadness, glee, satisfaction, shock. It will all depend upon how you’ve portrayed that character.

• Likewise, if you’re getting rid of a villain or an unpleasant character, you will want the reader to feel some satisfaction that they’ve got what they deserve. Or maybe you’ll create a bit of a twist by making the reader feel sorry for them in some way at the end.  You could do this by letting your narrative link into some poignant aspect of the character’s life as they die, so that it touches the reader in some way – even with the most villainous of characters. Having a little bit of heart or humility or fear in their final seconds can leave a lasting impression on the reader.

• Producing the unexpected is always good. If it’s to be a sudden ending, then make it have great impact by your phrasing. Surprise or shock the reader by the turn of events.

• Remember to be tasteful. Don’t go overboard with the gore and blood or it might seem gratuitous – there purely for the shock value. You can create a better effect by looking at the emotional side of things rather than the physical.

• It’s important to show what effect the death of this character has on other characters, especially your protagonist. If you’ve done your job right, the reader and your protagonist should be experience similar feelings about this character’s demise.

As writers we draw on our own experiences whenever we write, so make sure you have some way of lifting your mood again after writing a particularly draining scene. You probably need to choose your time for writing a harrowing part of your story. And don’t forget it’s just a story and as writers that’s our job as Stephen King says, to kill your darlings.

Today’s exercise: 

Write an opening scene which introduces your character and provides some sort of first impression about them. Give something of their appearance, their mood and their intention at that moment.

Have a go at writing a death scene. You might find you can adapt it in a future story, or not. But have a go at killing off one of your characters. Aim to create some sort of emotional response in your readers. Ideally, it should bring tears to your eyes as you write it.

Tomorrow: Story structure, plotting and planning.

Character motivation

“What’s my motivation, darling?” said the actor to the director. The actor given the part, wants to know the back story; what’s been going on; what their character’s aims, intentions and ambitions are.  What the character motivation is. 

The reason the actor needs to know is so they can portray that character with real depth and meaning. As writers, we are the directors of our stories. And it’s important that we know the motivation behind every single character – whether they have a walk on part, or the starring role.

If you aren’t clear on each character’s motivation, then your reader won’t be either. Without motivation, your characters could be inconsistent in their behaviour and attitude. A clear motivation will make them a stronger, more believable character. They know exactly what they want and are determined to achieve it. When you have two characters strongly motivated, that’s when conflict occurs, and your story becomes character led rather than plot led. Give your character a strong, realistic motivation and your reader will understand them, even if they don’t empathise with them.

What's happening in your characters' lives?

Every character in your story should be feeling motivated in some way. The fact that you have created them and given them a role in your story, means that they have a background, family, friends, dreams. Maybe their motivation is just to get on with their job at this point in your story when they come into contact with your protagonist. Maybe they are reacting to something that’s happened in their lives, and it might impact on your character. Only you can decide.

Your characters’ motivations will reveal a lot about them such as their moral standards, their beliefs, their values, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their hopes, dreams and fears. Every single character in your story has a reason for doing what they do. Take time to examine their personalities and circumstances – and get them motivated.

Naming your characters

Finding the right name for your characters is important, and you’ll know from your own experience that different names conjure up different images. If you’re one of those writers who can’t continue until they have the right name for their characters, could I suggest you try and put this aside; give them a temporary name rather than let it stop you from progressing.

Remember that names can be lengthened or shortened, which is worth thinking about, as this can show the mood of other characters or reflect the atmosphere of the scene by the way one character addresses another.

Although the popularity of names can indicate the timeline, the era, social class and a lot more, names do come around in circles, but beware of modern names. Be sure the name would have been around when your character was born. The internet will provide you with most popular names for all years and all nationalities if you need help.

Names may also affect the personality of your character. Would you give a weak sounding name to your strongest character? Would you give the best name you’ve thought up to a minor character? Think of surnames too. A character might get called by their surname by one character, and something entirely different by another. Calling someone by their surname can alter the mood of a scene. And don’t forget nicknames – and the reasons behind them.

Avoid making your character’s names sound too similar to each other. Create contrasts to avoid confusion. It’s so distracting to be reading a story and having to revert back to see who Amy and Abby were, or Jake and John and so on.

When thinking of a character’s first and last names, you might want to contrast them too. Perhaps if you have got a flamboyant first name, let the surname be plainer – and vice versa. But on the other hand, two plain names may sit nicely together and instantly conjure up what that character is like or looks like. Similarly, two flamboyant names together may work well. The choice is entirely yours so give plenty of thought to your characters’ names before you christen them.

Today’s Exercise:

• If you were to start a story around one of your characters, what would their main drive be for that day or that moment in time when the story opens? Get writing and see where it leads you. Do the same with an opposing character that you’ve created. You might have the ingredients for a good story. 
• Create a brand-new character, give them a name and a nickname. Next write a scene which indicates the reasons behind the nickname.
• Now write an opening scene where that character is determined to do something – for good reason, then allow something to get in their way and cause them a problem.

Tomorrow:  First impressions – and last impressions.

Nobody’s perfect – especially your characters

Nobody’s perfect – although I’m sure a few people will disagree. But at least when you’re writing fiction, you don’t want perfect characters. It’s often the flaws and the imperfections that make our characters unique and interesting. Also, perfect characters aren’t likely to get themselves into situations that are worth reading about. However, you’re trying to create characters who the reader will empathise with, and not find annoying or pathetic. It’s a fine balance.

There are so many personality flaws that our characters could suffer from, so spend time considering the complexities of their personalities. Obviously, there are some that certainly would never fit into your ‘hero’ category. For example: being cruel to animals, old folk and children; or being a bully. Save those traits for your villains.

By giving your character flaws and weaknesses – and you as the writer knowing how these have come about, you will create believable, interesting characters. It’s that knowing on your part that will make a difference. Spend time creating the back story of your characters, and make sure you don't just tell the reader that hard guy, Jim, is a real softy at heart; or Sarah is totally impatient. You need to write scenes where these traits are revealed.

While we need characters to ‘stay in character’, they can be contradictory in their behaviour if the right circumstances come about. Also, people behave differently depending on who they are with or talking to. If this is happening in your story you need to be consistent.

So, your protagonist has flaws and weaknesses. If you plan on bringing them to the fore at some major turning point in your story, it might just seem that they are acting out of character, which the reader won’t appreciate. It's odd, as people can behave out of character in real life and get away with it, but do this in a story, and it probably won't work. So, if you need a character to act 'out of character' at some point, then the solution would be to hint at any such flaws in their character before they appear. Be subtle in your handling of this as you don’t want to alienate the reader.

For example, showing your protagonist with a furious temper could turn some readers instantly off. Unless of course you show it when he or she is angry about someone being treated unjustly or unfairly. Jealousy isn’t an attractive trait, but your protagonist ‘beating themselves up’ about feeling ridiculously jealous, as they try not to be, reveals their flaw but could also be endearing to the reader.

Then, there’s the baddies and villains of your story, who you want the reader to feel strongly about.  Reveal their unpleasant traits in whatever way you find effective. No need to show them in a good light. Just be sure to show them in their true light. Let the reader see how they are behaving and make up their own mind.

When creating an unpleasant character, have them behaving in ways that will get some sort of emotional response from your reader.  The last thing you want is the reader shrugging their shoulders having no interest in them at all. Make the reader so irate that they must keep reading in the hope that the ‘baddie’ gets what’s coming to them. 

In my book Kill or Die, there are two ‘villains’ both are pretty repulsive, but my aim was to evoke two different emotional responses from readers. One character is utterly merciless, cold hearted and frightening. I didn't want the reader to have any sympathy with him. While the other does get the reader’s sympathy despite being pretty nasty. It was fun finding ways to do this.  

So, enjoy weaving flaws and weaknesses into your character's personalities. It all helps to ensure  your characters are complex and interesting enough to keep the reader right there – reading.

Today’s Exercise:

Spend some time creating a character who could potentially be in conflict with your first character. Give them different goals, ambitions and moral values. Make sure their background accounts for the flaws or negative values in their makeup. You might find it helps to write scenes from their past that made them the way they are today.

Tomorrow: Character motivation

Getting the reader to care about your characters

It's so important that the reader cares about your characters. If they don't care, they aren't likely to read on. So, for readers to care, you must care about the characters you create. You have to believe in them and be intensely involved with them.

To be honest, this rapport with your characters isn’t an immediate thing. Usually this bond develops as you write, as those characters start talking in the dialogue and reacting in the narrative – when they start thinking and acting for themselves. Often, it’s only as you get into the story that their true personalities emerge, and sometimes in ways that surprise you. Perhaps you’ll discover their changing moods, their fears, their humour – or lack of it, what spurs them on, what they love and what they can’t stand. Often you will discover skills that you never knew they had – yet turn out to be important later in the story.

On the other hand, as you get well into the story, you might realise that certain aspects are missing. Then it’s a case of going back to the beginning and blending in the important details you need for later. But that’s the great thing about writing, you aren’t writing in stone. You can go back over those early parts of the story and re-write, once you know your characters better.

As well as knowing your characters, you also need to understand them. It is not enough to have characters simply disliking one another, there has to be a reason behind this. Similarly, don’t expect the reader to believe two characters are in love, or falling in love just because you say so. This must come across through their interaction, thoughts, dialogue and emotions.

A fun way of really getting to know your characters, is to make a list of random questions to ask your character. For example, what do they keep hidden in the box at the bottom of their wardrobe? When did they last cry? When did they last laugh? What secret do they hope never comes out? Their answers will surprise you.

Probably only a fraction of your character sketches and traits will come to light in your story, but if you know all this and more, your character will be real to you, true to themselves and believable to the reader.

Spending time on creating well rounded characters with personality all add up to making the reader care about them. And if they care, they will read on, wanting to know what’s going to happen. The last thing you want is for your readers not to care what happens to your characters. You want some emotional response from the reader. They don’t necessarily have to love your characters – you might actually want them to hate your character. That’s great. But what you don’t want is some mediocre emotion where the reader couldn’t care less one way or the other.

 

Visualise your characters

Before you can write anything, you need to see your character in your mind’s eye, even if it is just a vague image to begin with. Once you start to write about him or her, they will become much clearer to you. Gradually, as you get to know their background, their skills, their personalities, their fears, their dreams and so on, they will start to become real.

As you start to colour in your sketchy outline and fill in the blanks, your character will become a living, breathing person with a mind and opinions of their own and with a background and a life that involves others. It’s worthwhile to spend time writing a character sketch for each of your characters. This would be just for your own reference, don’t even try to include all these points in your story.

                                                                                                                               

Appearance: Gender, age, height, shape, colouring, hair style, nationality, clothing; mannerisms, gait, habits. The way they speak and move. What’s their own opinion on how they look? Do they see themselves as others see them?

Normal life: Where they live; marital status, their work; education; birth date, star sign, intelligence; financial situation; hobbies and interests; family circle; friends; relationships; enemies; skills; fears and phobias; favourite things; likes and dislikes; aim in life.

Personality: Here’s a few traits to consider:  Shy, outgoing, talkative, quiet, moody, cheerful, optimistic, pessimistic, depressive, revengeful, timid, thoughtful, thoughtless, kind, unkind; forgiving, unforgiving, sense of humour; calm, easily angered. What’s their opinion on political issues, religion and topical issues?

Background: Past experiences shape a personality, just as their current situation affects their moods and behaviour. Make sure your characters have solid backgrounds.

Today’s Exercise

Working from the character you started to develop yesterday, now do a full character sketch covering everything mentioned here.  And if you find yourself going off at a tangent as certain traits take on a life of their own, then go with it, and see where your imagination leads you. You might surprise yourself by writing entire scenes that you might use in a later story.

Tomorrow:  Don't make those characters too perfect.

Thank you Rob Tysall, Tysall's Photography for the photos.