Feb 20 - Structure

Feb 20
Structure

“Structure is about timing – where in the mix those elements go.”(1)

“There is something fundamentally sound about the three structure. As Buckminster Fuller taught, the triangle is the strongest shape in nature (thus it is the foundation of the geodesic dome he invented)….
In a novel, we must get to know some thing in Act I before we can move on in the story. Then the problem is presented, and the Lead spends the greater part of the book wrestling with the problem (Act II). But the book has to end sometime, with the problem solved (Act III).”(1)

“Beginning are always about the who of the story…. The entry point is the Lead character, and the writer should begin to connecting the reader to the Lead as quickly as possible.
….
Middles
The major part of the novel is the confrontation, a series of battles between the Lead and the opposition….
This is also where subplots blossom, adding complexity to the novel and usually reflecting the deeper meaning of the book.
The various plot strands weave in and out of one another, creating a feeling of inevitability while at the same time surprising the reader in various ways. In addition, the middle, …, should:
Deepen character relationships.
Keep us caring about what happens.
Set up final battle that will wrap things up at the end.
Ends
The last part of the novel gives us the resolution of the big story…. The best ending … also:
Tie up all loose ends. Are there story threads that are left dangling? You must either resolve these in a way that does not distract from the main plot line or go back and snip them out. Readers have long memories.
Give a feeling of resonance. The best endings leaving a sense of something beyond the confines of the book. What does the story mean in the lager sense?”(1)

Patterns
Quest
“-The Lead is someone who is incomplete in his ordinary world
-The thing searched for must be of vital importance.
-The must be huge obstacles preventing the Lead from gaining it.
-The quest should result in the Lead becoming a different (usually better) person; a fruitless quest, however, may end in tragedy for the Lead.”
Revenge
“-The Lead should be sympathetic since revenge is usually violent business.
-The wrong done to the Lead or to someone close to the Lead is usually not his fault; if it is, the wrong is out of proportion to fault.
-The desire for revenge has an effect on the Lead’s inner life.”
Love
“-Two people have to be in love.
-Something has to separate them.
-They either get back together or tragically do not.
-One or both of the lovers grows as a result of the pattern.”
Adventure
“-The Lead sets out on a journey. Rather than a quest for some object, this is a desire for adventure alone- to experience what’s “out there.”
-There are various encounters along the way with interesting characters and circumstances.
-The Lead usually has some insight into himself or his life after the adventure.”
Chase
“-Somebody has to be on the run for a strong reason.
-The Chaser, who can be the Lead or the opposition, must have a duty or obsession (or both) with catching the person he’s chasing.
-Often the chase is based on a huge misunderstanding.”
One Against
“-The Lead embodies the moral code of the community.
-There is a threat to the community from the opposition, who is much stronger than the Lead.
-The Lead wins by inspiring the rest of the community.
-The Lead’s inspiration may come through self-sacrifice.”
One Apart
“-The Lead is an anti-hero, one who does not wish to be associated with a larger community but rather lives according to a personal moral code.
-Something happens to draw the Lead into a larger conflict.
-The Lead must decide whether to take a stand or not.
-The Lead either retreats to his own, self-enclosed world again; or he decides to join the community.”
Power
“-The Lead usually begins in a position of weakness.
-Through ambition and the gaining of strength, the Lead rise.
-There is a moral cost to gaining power.
-The Lead may experience a fall or be willing to sacrifice power to regain morality.”(2)


Master Structures

“Traditional Structure has a clear beginning, middle, and end that happen in clear three-act sequence.” p28

“The Roller Coaster Ride is just that-a story that takes the audience on a ride of tension and suspense, never letting up on the gas.
Instead of having one major Climax at the end of the story, as with Traditional Structure, this structure has several Climaxes throughout the story. Each one builds upon the previous one, holding the reader in its thrall until the very end.” p34

“The Replay is defined as having two to three versions of events in one story. These versions may come from the point of view of one character over and over again as in Run Lola Run and Groundhog Day, where one character lives out the events in her life several times, or from several characters, one after the other as in He Said, She Said and Rashomon where there are two to three characters who related their version of the same story.” p39

“In the Fate structure, the Climax takes place at the beginning of the story as well as at the end. What follows from the Opening Climax is a flashback, or two, of events that led to the Climax just seen. Following the Final Climax is Resolution, which is what reader has been waiting for. “What happened to the character after the Climax?” is the real question that keeps the reader reading.” p44

“The Parallel plot structure is defined as having two or more stories going on at the same point in time. They are not flashbacks or subplots but two distinctly different plots with a complete beginning, middle and end all their own. The Parallel plot is a simultaneous multi-plotted story that eventually intersects all plots presented.” p49
“The Episodic plot structure is made up of a series of chapters or stories linked together by the same character, place, or theme but held apart by their individual plot, purpose, and subtext. In fact, the chapters or stories could be shuffled around and placed in a different order because there is no overall beginning, middle, and end to the book or story as a whole.” p55

“The Melodrama plot structure is sometimes referred to as “women’s fiction” as soap operas and television movies fall into this category, but this is not entirely accurate.
While both women’s fiction and Melodrama primarily focus on women’s lives, relationships, family, and the female point of view and are emotionally engaging, they differ in that women’s fiction also encompasses books such as Bridget Jones’s Diary, which is not considered Melodrama at all and has a fairly a fairly traditional plot structure to it.
Melodrama is at its core just that – melodramatic. In fact there are two types of Melodrama – the Female Melodrama and the Male Melodrama. This is why Melodrama is not considered women’s fiction.” p60

“The Romance plot structure is defined as having a structure around two Main Characters who are falling in love. This structure focuses on the content of the structure rather than on structure design.” p66

“The Journey plot structure is defined as having one Main Character either go it alone through a major internal growth experience – as with the Feminine and Masculine Journeys – or go it alone through a major series of events that courage and resolve – as in the Joseph Campbell model. This structure focuses on the content of the structure rather than on structure design.” p73 (3)



Bell, James Scott. Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure. FW Publications. 2004. pp 22-25.
Bell, James Scott. Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure. FW Publications. 2004. pp 181-191.
Schmidt, Victoria Lynn, Ph.D. Story Structure Architect. Writer’s Digest Books. 2005.