Story structures are like outlines for fiction. There is no perfect way to tell a story, but several patterns and themes have emerged and developed over time. Familiarity with some structures will help you quickly frame your stories and get you through the first and most challenging hurdle… the blank page.
A solid outline based on a good story structure has the added benefit of freeing you up to write the story in any order you please. If you’re like me, I can only write the scenes I feel in the moment. Having the structure together allows me to piece the story together in a hodge-podge fashion before stitching it together in editing.
The first story structure we’ll discuss is also one of the simplest: The Three-Act Structure. This tried-and-true format applies to anything from short stories to sitcoms to Broadway shows. It may seem familiar if your elementary school teachers ever told you that stories have a “beginning, middle, and end.”
Act I: Setup: Establish the world, introduce the characters and rules, and begin the action. Here, you should be getting your reader invested in the plot.
Exposition – Introduce the reader to the ordinary world. What is the status quo? What are the rules the characters operate within? Who are the characters, and why should the reader care about them?
Inciting Incident – An event that causes friction or change and causes the world to change, setting the story in motion. What happens that disrupts the status quo? This should be tied to the exposition to ensure the reader understands why this incident matters.
First Plot Point – The Protagonist decides to do something in reaction to the reciting incident. They do something that transitions the story to the midpoint, where the central conflict will begin. This is sometimes called “crossing the threshold,” leading the reader into Act II.
Act II: Confrontation: Now that the reader understands the world and is invested in the characters, they know the stakes. They should feel how the inciting incident has threatened to change the world for the worse and are curious to see how the protagonist will handle the challenge.
Rising Action – After the protagonist crosses the threshold, they confront their “new world.” This could mean initial challenges, failures, enemies, or even new allies. They are getting their bearings with the task at hand and maybe even begin to get overconfident.
Midpoint – Just when the protagonist’s objective seems clear, something disrupts and/or completely upends their mission. Perhaps a betrayal or discovering the truth behind some mystery.
Second Plot Point – After the midpoint throws the protagonist’s mission out of whack, they are tested and fail. Suddenly, success is no longer certain. Perhaps the protagonist must change their approach. This transitions the reader to the next act.
Act III: Resolution: The reader is fully invested in the characters and rushing through to see how the protagonist will pick themselves up.
Pre-climax – The protagonist is at a low point after the second act. Usually, they must decide: do they take action or accept defeat? (Hint: they usually go for the former. Failure is an acceptable option for your story but will still happen at the end after the climax.)
Climax – The protagonist confronts the antagonist for the last time. The antagonist could be a person, but it could also be an idea, organization, animal, or anything else. The protagonist must succeed or fail (or perhaps something in between), leading the reader to the end of the story.
Denouement – The post-climax wrap-up that establishes a new status quo. Here, the reader sees the effects or consequences of the climax. How has the world changed
This story structure likely feels familiar. You have read books, watched plays, and watched movies that fit this format. But it is just an outline meant to guide your story-building.
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