Modern Fiction Story Structures
PLOT ARC - The events that happen while the characters make other plans.
CHARACTER ARC - The emotional roller-coaster that the character suffers in dealing with the Plot.
CHARACTER ARC - The emotional roller-coaster that the character suffers in dealing with the Plot.
The PLOT ARC
If it doesn't forward the plot
it doesn't belong in the story.
If it doesn't forward the plot
it doesn't belong in the story.
When I set out to write a tale, I begin by blocking out the plot, listing what I want to happen
Inciting Incident
Crisis
Reversal
Ordeal
Climax
Resolution
For a 100k novel that's 20 chapters at 5000 words each, or 40 chapters at 2500 words each.
I note what I want to happen in each chapter and that's the frame I work from. If I find a better way to twist the plot, great! But a detailed outline or block keeps me from wandering all over the place away from my Ending, and going over my word count.
Blocking or outlining is not the only way to build a story. It's just the easiest way.
Steven King does not block/outline, but he is a master at his art. He writes his opening chapter where Something Bad happens, then his closing chapter of how that Bad Thing Ended, then writes a bunch of individual character-based stories of how they interacted with that Something Bad.
What makes his books so huge is the size of his cast of characters. The more character stories he has, the bigger the novel. This is also why he ALWAYS goes way-way-way over his word count. *grin* But then, his publishers are not about to make him conform, there are too many other publishers dying for his work.
Plot & Character Integration
To make a cohesive whole, every single event must happen for a reason. Every single character must have a reason to be there, and EVERYTHING must tie in together. Every scene in a story should either illustrate a Character's feelings (Character Arc) or be an Event (Plot Arc).
The CHARACTER ARC
The Stages of Grief:
Denial - Anger- Bargaining - Despair -Acceptance
The Stages of Grief:
Denial - Anger- Bargaining - Despair -Acceptance
Why Grief?
Because a STORY needs ANGST to BE a Story.
Stories are all about CHANGE, about Adapting and Overcoming circumstancing that should take them down. The hero and the villain change and develop as the story progresses to allow the hero a toehold chance --and no more-- to win. This is where dramatic tension is generated.
The difference between the Hero and the Villain is the Villain's failure to change. The Villain fails to face his fears, which allows the hero to take him down. The rest of the cast may or may not have personal growth, but the hero and the villain must.
Changing takes suffering. Both the hero and the villain should suffer emotionally and physically to allow for their personal changes.
Think about how hard it is for YOU to change your mind about liking or disliking anyone. What would it take to change your mind? That's the level of suffering --of Angst-- you need.
Plot Arc: WHAT HAPPENS to the characters.
Character Arc: How the characters FEEL about what's happening.
The Stage of Grief that character happens to be going through dictates how that character will React during the event. If you plan it just right, every Event will work Against the character's Stage of Grief.
The whole Idea being:
"That which does not kill me, makes me Suffer."
The ENDING is
Why you are writing your story.
Why you are writing your story.
How it Works:
Plot Arc + Character Arc
The plot movements combine both the Plot Arc (Events/Actions) and the Character Arc (Emotions/Reactions).
Flash Fiction / The Vignette Under 1000 words ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The climactic moment of a single event. 1 Movement: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ordeal - Sacrifice ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 main characters: Protagonist / Antagonist 1 POV characte: 1st Person or 3rd Person Limited POV
~~~ |
The Short Story 5000 to 19,000 words ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One Small Event in the Hero's life. 3 major movements: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1- Crisis - Anger 2- Ordeal - Sacrifice 3- Climax - Acceptance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 2500 word chapter per movement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 main characters: Protagonist / Antagonist 1 POV character: 1st Person or 3rd Person Limited POV
~~~ |
The Novelette 20,000 to 59,000 words ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A single event that changes the Hero's life. 5 major movements: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Act One 1-Inciting event - Denial ~~~ Act Two 2-Crisis - Anger 3-Reversal - Despair 4-Ordeal - Sacrifice ~~~ Act Three 5-Climax - Acceptance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 2500 word chapters per movement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 Main characters: Protagonist Ally/Obstacle Character * Antagonist 1 or 2 POV characters: 1st Person or 3rd Person Limited
~~~ |
*Note: The Obstacle Character is an Ally and the Nay-sayer that possesses the opposing opinion. In a 3-character plot, the Emotionally-driven character tends to play opposition for both the Antagonist (Motive-driven character) and the Protagonist (Action-driven character).
The Novella ~ Category Novel 60,000 to 89,000 words (Many publishers consider anything over 60k a novel. However, most ePubs will not print a book under 80k.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A single that changes all the Main Character's lives. 7 major movements: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Act One: 1-Set up - Something Bad has Happened 2- Inciting Incident -Denial 3-Crisis - Anger ~~~ Act Two: 4-Reversal - Despair 5-Ordeal - Sacrifice ~~~ Act Three: 6-Climax - Acceptance 7-Resolution - Acknowledgment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2-4 2500 word chapters per movement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 Main characters: Protagonist Ally/Victim * Antagonist 2 Support characters: Hero's Obstacle Character Villain's Obstacle Character 1 to 3 POV characters: 1st Person or 3rd Person Limited
~~~ |
*Note: The Ally, traditionally known as the Victim, is the one caught in the middle of the battle between the Protagonist and the Antagonist. The Ally is most often the Main Viewpoint Character. (Neo, in The Matrix was the Viewpoint Character caught between Morpheus and the Agents of the Matrix.)
The Novel 90,000 to 125,000 words (Print Publishers rarely take manuscripts higher than 125k.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A collection of events that lead to a single Major Event that brings change to all the (main) character's lives. 9 major movements: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Act One: 1-Set up - Something Bad has Happened 2- Introduction - Innocence 3- Inciting Incident -Denial ~~~ Act Two: 4-Challenge - Anger 5-Crisis - Betrayal ~~~ Act Three: 6-Reversal - Despair 7-Ordeal - Sacrifice ~~~ Act FOUR: 8-Climax - Acceptance 9-Resolution - Acknowledgment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2-5 2500 word chapters per movement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 Main characters*: Protagonist Ally/Victim Antagonist
3 Major Ally characters: Protagonist's Obstacle Character Antagonist's Obstacle Character Viewpoint Character's Obstacle Character
1 to 3 POV characters**
1st Person or 3rd Person Limited, or Omniscient ~~~ |
*Note: Less is More. The larger the cast, the longer the story because ALL major character arcs must conclude to fulfill resolution.
**Note: With Viewpoint Characters - LESS is definitely more. Hopping from Viewpoint to Viewpoint can get very frustrating to the reader who has to keep track of each of those different story threads. And then there's the Fatal Flaw of: Head Hopping.
Keep in Mind: Each POV character chosen, automatically becomes a Main Character. Woe betide the author that does not conclude all the issues raised with EACH Viewpoint Character - in addition to the Main Characters. Any more than 4 POVs and you're looking at a Massive undertaking to conclude them all, or make plot-holes you can drive trucks through.
Tragedy vs. Happily Ever After
The difference between a Tragedy and a Happily Ever After seems to be that in a Tragedy, the Protagonist FAILS at their Crisis Point in Act Two. Act Three is merely the death scene that shows what happened as a result of their failure to change.
To make a Happily Ever After, the Protagonist still Fails their Crisis Point in Act Two, but then replays their Crises Point in Act Three and finally Wins at the end of the Act. The story then goes on to a whole new FOURTH act.
Additional Reading:
The Internal Journey - Premise Building
Being, Doing, Becoming:
The Heroic Strength, the Heroic Flaw, the Heroic Journey
The Heroic Strength, the Heroic Flaw, the Heroic Journey
Enjoy!
