A plot is not a story, nor does every story have a strong plot. Good writers know the importance of both plot and story, especially before they dare to write a story with a “weak” or “thin” plot. Any plot can feature a love story; that illustrates the difference. Plots…
Tag: structure
Setting the Story Choosing the when and where Every story occurs in some place, at some time. This guide offers some advice for establishing the right setting for a story. The setting can be determined by the story, or the story can be determined by the setting. Either way, the…
Embrace a Theme Frame your story around a message The primary theme of a work is the unifying message conveyed throughout the story to the audience. Themes do not have to be ethical or logical, but they do suggest why the author created a particular work. While you can have…
Conflict and Suspense Something is always in the way of success Stories are built upon conflicts and suspense. Seldom is a single conflict enough. No, we writers (and readers) expect one conflict after another. The suspense of “what next?” keeps a reader glued to the page, or eyes locked on…
Stories fall into a handful of traditional structures. Many scholars have addressed this from disciplines ranging from anthropology to writing studies. Stories are about conflicts, inner and outer journeys of growth, and there are a limited number of potential conflict models. Likewise, a character either grows towards good, remains the…
When I read a story, I’m a “journey” reader. I want to read the “hero’s journey” or the “personal journey” story. I’m starting to believe more novelists and short story authors should read screenwriting books. Too many novels are poorly paced, with no compelling character development. I’ve admitted that I’m…