Building Books: Story Structure
So you’ve decided to write a book! You might attack the admittedly daunting task the way I did the first time around: I started with what I thought happened first, wrote it, then what I thought happened next, wrote it, and repeated until I got to about 300 pages.
I will say now that I wish I’d had at least a rudimentary understanding of story structure before I began that project! I’m in the final edits of that story now, but it’s been a very long road, in part because I didn’t understand how to put the pieces together in order to come up with a coherent finished product.
For those of you who would like to explore mythology or screenwriting as a template, check out Christopher Vogler’s The Writers Journey website. From this link, click on the fourth item down: The Hero’s Journey, which will bring you to Vogler’s explanation of the twelve steps of The Hero’s Journey as identified by scholar Joseph Campbell. Very interesting stuff – and effective at a primal level because we humans are hard-wired to respond to story-telling.
In a similar vein, Kim Hudson’s The Virgin Promise provides a thirteen step process from a feminine point of view. I used this in my most recent work, and it fit my purposes beautifully.
However, for me, those templates, as universal as they are, are sometimes confusing, so I tend to fall back on my favorite writing coach, James Scott Bell. He simplifies the process to a beginning, a middle, and an end. (I think we all could figure that one out!)
There must be a transition from one step to another, no matter what template or format you choose. It is critical to make each transition irreversible for the character. In other words, s/he has no option to return to “normal.” S/he must move forward – and the stakes must be higher.
The first major transition will likely come about one-quarter of the way into the book, although this varies from genre to genre. Thrillers may reach the first (irrevocable) transition early in the book.
A gripping book will have a series of events to fill the middle that lead inexorably to the final transition, and each of these events will have increasing tension and higher stakes.
The final major transition will come at approximately the three-quarter mark, and will be followed by the black moment (when all appears to be lost), the climax, and the resolution (end).
A good exercise is to take a paperback book and analyze it. Identify the first transition, the ratcheting of higher tension, the final transition, black moment, climax and resolution. Mark up the pages, or use bookmarks. Do the same with a movie. (I will admit to difficulty with these sorts of exercises, because I get so caught up in the story, I forget to analyze!)
For instance, in The Wizard of Oz, the first turning point is the tornado. Up until then, life is getting more difficult for Dorothy and Toto, but she hasn’t been pushed through the door of no return. But once she’s caught up in the tornado, she can’t go back. “Normal” is no longer available to her. The middle of the book is filled with the (mis)adventures of the Cowardly Lion, Heartless Tin Man, and Brainless Scarecrow. The final turning point (in my mind; feel free to disagree!) is the audience with the Great and Wonderful Wizard of Oz – who dashes Dorothy’s hopes. The black moment comes when Toto reveals that the Wizard is just an ordinary man, and has no magic to return Dorothy to her home. The climax is Dorothy’s discovery that she’s had the power to return within her the whole time; the resolution is her joyful reunion with the people she loves. Dorothy’s character has grown, learning her own worth and appreciating that which she has taken for granted.
Identifying turning points and understanding the structure of your story provides immeasurable help in the writing of the story, whether you use a more elaborate outline or simply go with a listing of the crucial points. An added benefit is that you’ve got the bones of a synopsis; it makes writing one of those ever so much easier!
As with anything in writing, each person is different, and different methods work best for each individual. I’ve struggled with The Hero’s Journey, but found The Virgin’s Promise easier to execute. Bell’s simpler approach is perhaps a better fit for the writer who hates outlines.
How do you approach planning and structuring a manuscript? Is there a method that works for you, or one that I haven’t mentioned? Please share!
