Every month I share a writing craft resource I use. This month, it’s K.M. Weiland’s blog post series called The Secrets of Story Structure.
Not understanding why something isn’t working is frustrating. Like this:
When I first starting writing, I had no idea what story structure was. I understood that stories sometimes follow a pattern, but I didn’t have a clue what the pattern was, what its function was, or how to use it. That’s why my first draft of my first attempt to write a novel never went anywhere. And then I found K.M. Weiland’s website Helping Writers Become Authors and more importantly, her series The Secrets of Story Structure. It was there that I first learned the components of a story:
- Hook
- Inciting Incident
- Key Event
- 1st Plot Point
- 1st Pinch Point
- Midpoint
- 2nd Pinch Point
- 3rd Plot Point
- Climax
- Resolution
This chart is a helpful visual depiction. I keep it handy to reference at all points of my writing process.
I quickly devoured K.M.’s posts on the importance of story structure, what story structure actually is, and how to use it to craft a solid story. Suffice it to say this website was a master class in craft, and it’s free! I still reference these posts when I need to check that my plot makes sense and is in the right order, every piece in its place.
Story Structure Database
Another part of the website I find helpful is K.M. Weiland’s Story Structure Database, where she breaks down popular books and movies into the different parts of a story to highlight and explain the structure. This part helped me visualize what each part is and does and to figure out how to mirror that in my own work.
If you’re like me and you need real examples in order to understand concepts, this is a great resource.
But be warned! If you start to understand story structure, you might not be able to consume stories the same way. Breaking down movies and books into plot points and pinch points is almost automatic for me, now. While it might remove the enjoyment for some people, peeking behind the curtain, it’s made me enjoy strong stories that much more because I understand why they are good. And I can use that knowledge to make my own stories better, too.
Looking for more posts like this? Check out the Writing Craft Resources Archive.
Have a favorite writing craft resource? Leave a comment or email me at author@kierstenlillis.com. I’m always looking for ways to improve my craft.
