I read an interesting article the other day
titled “The Two Pillars of Novel Structure”.
The author, James Scott Bell, likened the
use of structure in a story to a suspension bridge, guiding people safely
across a ravine below. The article covered the basics of beginning, middle and
end with some nice examples from well known books and films.
He also had some checklists that I also
thought you might find helpful. I do love a good checklist.
A good beginning (pillar one)…
1. Have you given us a character worth
following?
2. Have you created a disturbance for that
character in the opening pages?
3. Have you established the death stakes of
the story?
4. Have you created a scene that will force
the character into the confrontation of Act two?
5. Is that scene strong enough—to the point
that the lead character cannot resist going into the battle?
6. Does the first Doorway of No Return
occur before the 1/5 mark of your story?
A good ending (pillar two) …
1. Have you created a major final crisis or
setback the lead must overcome?
2. Alternatively (or additionally), have
you presented a clue or discovery that is key to the story’s resolution?
3. Does this final Doorway of No Return
make the resolution possible or inevitable (or both)?
I know it is a bit different when writing
memoir; you can’t change the facts to make the story more exciting. But you can be selective about what you include. You can choose to include only the parts of your life that serve the book
and leave the rest behind.
If a story lacks structure people end up
confused. If your readers are anything like me, they will have a backlog of
books to turn to if yours gets too hard. Make it easy for them. Hold their hand
across the ravine.
What does everyone else think? Do you think
structure is essential to a good story?
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