I’ve been thinking a lot about story structure lately.
The awesome Debbie Ohi (seriously, check out her art), who I met last summer at SCBWI-LA, reported back from the SCBWI-NY conference this month with words of wisdom for children’s writers:
1) concentrate on story/characters
2) just get it written.
I’ve been doing a lot of both since the first of the year and have had several revelations along the way.
1) I’m not a bad storyteller.
I’m not great by any stretch, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that my intuitive story-telling skills don’t completely suck so badly that I need to give up writing and pursue some other vocation, possibly horticulture (note: I have a black thumb).
2) Form in fiction is like haiku.
Haiku has very simple, but unbendable rules. However, within that stark structure, amazing beauty can come forth. (I won’t subject you to my haiku. I may not be a bad storyteller, but I AM a bad poet. See my blogger-friend Tricia O’Brien for some lovely haiku.) Just like the rules of haiku, a well-structured story form can make the story SO MUCH BETTER. Intuition can only take you so far, and after that, it really helps to understand the form of storytelling.
3) Study the masters.
I knew this one already, but I experienced a perfect storm of masters recently, when I used two different Master Guides (Save the Cat! via Laura Pauling and Story) to analyze a masterfully told story (Hunger Games). It was like using the Rosetta Stone to decode an ancient Egyptian version of the Illiad. Actually, it was easier than that, but felt just as profound. The things that made Hunger Games have such a strong appeal became clearer to me, in a way that I could use as an author for my own writing. And holding my own story up for comparison was a humbling experience. I had to keep reminding myself about Number One above. This is the hazard of studying the masters, but I was ready for it.
4) It is a lot easier to fix a story than write it in the first place, but there are limits to what can be fixed.
Whenever I learn something new about writing, I immediately want to start over from scratch, with a new story, one that will have NONE of the flaws of my previous stories. This is, of course, crazy. I will continue to learn and intentionally want each story to be an improvement in craft. And many, many things can be fixed by small changes (a sub-plot slipped in), a one-room remodel (rewriting a chapter or two), or perhaps replacing the roof (that character? He needs to go). But some things require tearing down the walls to brass tacks, and at that point, it may be easier to write another story.
Which I most certainly will do, but not until I’ve remodeled the one I’m working on, turning those new writer’s wrenches until they’re shiny from use and warmed up for the next WiP.
What writer tools have you added to your toolbox lately?
For me, which is reflected by my latest blog posts, is how to use story structure to my advantange. I mean to really bring out the character's emotion and the right pacing. Structure is much more than plot points. Great post! And thanks for the link. I love Story too! A bit technical but packed with wisdom.
Hmm, you liked The Hunger Games? I thought the idea was brilliant, but I wasn't crazy about the stories themselves. And I was pretty disappointed with the last one. I'm all about really mushy happy endings, though. 😉 I never get away from that die-hard romance thing. LoL.
I recently learned that I can edit better when I have a paper copy of my ms in front of me!
~JD
@Laura Your post tipped me over the edge and got me busy with this analyis, so thank you for that! And your insights into How to Train Your Dragon have been wonderfully helpful as well! Structure IS so much more than plot points, and I like your observation about bringing out a character's emotion. Using structure to reveal character was one of the better insights I got out of Story. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
@Justine I loved Hunger Games (and I'm far from the only one), but it's definitely not a romance (although the love triangle is a huge driver for the story). But I understand – I feel the same way about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – totally not my thing, although zillions of people love it. But, as the famous Nate B. said, as writers we shouldn't ask whether we like a story, but why it works (after all, selling 8 million copies is no small thing).
Also: I need to give the paper-editing thing a try. A lot of people have recommended that lately. 🙂
I've been learning a lot about structuring chapters so that some cliffhangers hit at chapter breaks–kind of micro-structure. My CPs have put resources in my path to help me improve on this.
Scenes themselves also need to have structure. I recommend The Scene Book by Sandra Scofield for improving this building-block of fiction.
@Laurel Yes! Scenes definitly have their own structure as well – thanks for the rec! Suzanne Collins has famously cliff-hanger chapter endings, but what I found is that most were not cliff-hangers per se, but "gaps" opened up (as McKee would say) between the character's expectation and reality – a twist in behavior, a secret revealed. Collins' genius was leaving the closing of the gap, the character's reaction to it, until the next chapter. She is very deft at using this technique.
I've been trying to analyze books after reading them, too. I noticed that Scott Westerfeld's UGLIES is divided into three parts and each has an opening quote that sets up the theme. That's really helpful to me in seeing what he'd done in structure.
Thank you for the shout-out. *blushes*
@Tricia I love Uglies, too! When I first read it, I was simply enamored with his craft. But I should go back now and re-read to analyze. Thanks for the idea! (and your poems are lovely, my dear)
This diagram is a nice tool to keep it in perspective. I'm finding the more stories I write, the more I need to identify the actual structure to keep it on track. Structure, man. Gotta have it. You don't build a house without a structure. Same with a story.
BTW I haven't read Hunger Games yet but plan to read them very soon … for research purposes, of course. 🙂
I'm working to put together the beginnings of my first MG story, so I finally broke down and ordered Fire in Fiction and Writing the Breakout Novel. I can't wait to get them. 🙂
I probably haven't added too many tools lately–I get stuck on my old worn out ones (I should check them over though–they're probably getting a little dull). Mostly I collect nuts and bolts.
Does Dark Omen know about these 4 rules? Seems like he's got the knack of storytelling.
Great post! And it is funny how so much of it is intuitive. *phew* because once you realize that as complex as all of the "rules" are, you typically follow most of them anyway, it doesn't feel quite as daunting.
Well, STORY is somewhere in the mail right now, finding its way to me via plane, train, or automobile. I shall tell you what I learn afterward…
(PS – great post)
@PK Warning: Block out some time when you sit down to read Hunger Games. You won't want to stop. 🙂
@Shannon Writing the Breakout Novel is awesome, and I want to read Fire in Fiction, but haven't gotten to it yet. I'll be curious to see what you think!
@JB Mostly I collect nuts and bolts LOL! I love that. 🙂
@Iron Guy Dark Omen IS a natural storyteller. All that practice from entertaining the younger brothers, I think. 🙂
@Lisa I know what you mean about daunting! But if we weren't intuitive storytellers, I don't think we'd be drawn to this business, yeah? So, it's a lot of reinforcement of what you already know. 🙂
@Bryan I look forward to hearing your opinion of it! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Great post! 🙂
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I loved your analogy with one-room models and replacing the roof!
Save the Cat is on my list to read (I got so much out of Laura Pauling's posts, too!)
About a month ago I used Larry's Three Act structure over at StoryFix and his series of important questions to ask about your plot/characters to "remodel" my current WIP. It was so fascinating! – yes – like a rosetta stone to interpret a new language.
@MargoK Drat! I didn't win Fire in Fiction. Might have to break down and buy it. 🙂
@MargoB Do you have a link for Larry's Three Act structure analysis? I'd love to add it to the post! 🙂
Another helpful piece of information that I will tuck away and use. Great post.