Chris Rogers, Author

Writers' Easy Guides: Story Structure

Story begins with an idea, a spark, a stroke of genius, a gut feeling, an idea you can’t let go. Or with a fascinating character who comes alive in your head, or in your heart. Story begins with an intriguing situation, an anomaly, a stitch in time. Story begins with change: a change in thinking, a change in status, a change in the weather. Arrivals, departures. Deaths, births. Story begins in a thousand different ways and plays out in infinite possibilities.

But unlike story, or story Plot, Story Structure is constant.

Think of a letter. The format or structure of a letter is: HEADING (recipient’s name, address), SALUTATION (Dear____), BODY (what you want to say) CLOSURE (Sincerely, Respectfully, etc.) SIGNATURE, TITLE (if any), and POSTSCRIPT (P.S., if any). Simple and constant. You will change the content of a letter (who it goes to, what you say) but you won’t rearrange the elements, putting the signature, for example, before the heading. That would make no sense.

At the simplest level, the format or structure for a story is: SETUP (a.k.a, Act I), COMPLICATIONS (Act II), and PAYOFF (Act III). Within that overall frame lies the constant and easy-to-learn specifics of Story Structure that will keep your tale on track.

A 12-Step Story Plan:
Start with Good Structure, then Relax and Unfold Your Story

As writers, we must develop the skill of “chunking” up to get a broad perspective on the whole story and chunking down to create the details. You must look at the broad picture of story development as you create plot and structure. As you chunk down to specifics, your focus becomes narrower and narrower.

Writers’ Easy Guide #4 ORDER NOW

Building Blocks of Fiction:
Using Drama, Reflection & Transition

From the opening paragraph to the final sentence, your story is a string of units, each connected with the next through causal relationships.

Writers’ Easy Guide #7 ORDER NOW

Easy Guide Cover: Building Blocks of Fiction

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