Story Structure

Most popular posts

A character waves at the camera, which is a sign of a writer not knowing how to introduce a character.

How to Introduce a Character: 5 Key Methods

A character’s introduction is one of the most important parts of your story. Done well, your reader can make a...

A fencing match is one of many scenes you can write once you know how to write a fight scene.

How to Write a Fight Scene in 6 Steps

Learning how to write a fight scene isn’t really about choreography. It’s about tension and what’s truly at stake for...

An eye peering through a page, symbolizing a point of view in literature.

Point of View in Literature

There is no “correct” approach to point of view in literature. Your sole consideration is how you want your reader...

A creative writer taking time to sketch out their protagonist, who they know more about thanks to the character questionnaire.

Character Questionnaire: Turn Vague Ideas into Realistic Characters

Character questionnaires are designed to help you get to know a character that doesn’t yet exist. You might know the...

A student taking thorough notes and trying exercises to glean insights from the best books on writing

Best Books on Writing: 7 Books for Your Writing Journey

Have you ever stared at a blank page and wondered whether your story needed more inspiration or a clearer outline?...

A little tunnel leads out into the wilderness to suggest a limited point of view

How Limited Point of View Shapes What Readers Know

A limited point of view means the story narration stays with one character at a time. Your reader can only...

Character Transformation
Blog
Alan Watt

Transformation

Story is the most powerful way we have to express ideas. We can actually see the journey that a human being takes

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Recent posts

Three-act structure

Mastering the Three-Act Structure for Stronger Stories

In his book, Poetics, Aristotle laid the foundation for story structure by stating that all stories must have a beginning,...

backstory

Backstory: What to Reveal and When

Backstory includes all the events from your characters’ pasts, details about their origins, plus any essential background information necessary to...

story circle

What is the “Story Circle”? A Practical Breakdown

In simple terms, storytelling consists of three things: the beginning, middle, and end. However, this basic structure can often hide...

parallelism

Parallelism: Crafting Meaning in Repetition

There’s no rhythm without some repeated notes. Certain literary and rhetorical devices are so ingrained in how we speak and...

misdirection

The Art of Narrative Misdirection

Misdirection — the art of strategically concealing and revealing information — is one of the most potent literary tools that...

hook

What is a Hook in Storytelling?

Try to recall your favorite story. How did it begin? What were the first words? If the first lines of...

plot

The Art of Plot: Structure That Serves Your Characters

What is a story without a plot? Not much! A plot is the sequence of events that helps give a...

Hero's Journey

The Hero’s Journey: A Structure Template

It’s a tale as old as time. The protagonist is torn from their ordinary life and sets off to face...

Resolution - Freytag's Pyramid

How to Write an Effective Resolution

All stories must eventually come to a conclusion, or “resolution.” As an author, your job is to ensure that the...

Exposition

Exposition: “Where should my story begin?”

For some writers, just getting the story started is the toughest part. There’s so much you want to say, but...

Theme

Unlock Your Story’s Theme: Crafting Stories That Matter

Theme is a way of making a series of events which are personal to the protagonist universally relatable to a...

rising action

What is Rising Action? How to Elevate Your Plot

Rising action refers to the series of events that lead from a story’s inciting incident to the climax. In this...

Inciting Incident

What is an Inciting Incident? The Story Moment That Changes Everything

With storytelling, if your reader isn’t engaged within the first few chapters, you run the risk of losing their attention....

Falling Action

Falling Action: The Bridge Between Climax and Resolution

What happens after a story’s climactic moment? What comes after the protagonist wins the girl, or defeats the bully, or...

Climax

How to Write a Compelling Climax

The climax. This is the moment your reader has been waiting for. They’ve spent hours immersed in your story, falling...

Story - A Journey of Self-Discovery

Story: A Journey of Self-Discovery

Story is always a journey of self-discovery “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Embarking on a creative...

Exploring the Dilemma

Exploring the Dilemma

At the heart of every story lies a dilemma. It is not a question of whether or not your protagonist...

Character Transformation

Transformation

Story is the most powerful way we have to express ideas. We can actually see the journey that a human...