I am a sucker for story structure · 10:11pm Apr 24th, 2021
I am a sucker for story structure. Unfortunately, I sometimes use studying story structure as a way of putting off actually writing.
This is a beat sheet I pulled from a video by Jenna Moreci.
HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR BOOK - MY PLOTTING METHOD
- A look into the future, foreshadowing what the story will be like
- Normal life, establishing the status quo
- Desire, what does the protagonist want
- Dilemma, what keep the protagonist from what they want
- Taking action, the protagonist takes the first action against the dilemma
- In over their head, the protagonist’s first action fails
- Blunder, the protagonist’s attempts to rectify the first failure leads to additional failures
- Learning, the protagonist learns from their failures
- The first win, the protagonist makes changes and makes progress against the dilemma
- Perspective shift, the first win makes the reader and characters view the protagonist differently
- Threat worsens, in reaction to the first win, the dilemma is highetened
- Struggle, the protagonist must deal with the worsening dilemma
- Major loss, the worsening dilemma leads the protagonist to a major failure
- The breaking point, lowest point for protagonist, because of the failure they question everything
- Wallow, the protagonist seems defeated by their failures
- Redemption, something causes the protagonist to take one last chance to overcome the dilemma
- The almost, the protagonist almost loses everything
- The climax, the protagonist meets their dilemma head on and either wins or loses here
- The fallout, the characters gather to ask and answer questions
- Resolution, resolve this dilemma, set up any dilemmas for sequels
How do you think about structuring your stories?
What story structures have you found useful?