Welcome to my newsletter!

Hi Reader,

I've got another question for you...

What makes a solid story structure?

There are several answers to that question. But here is the one I live by, and I share it with my students.

To start, a story structure is a framework.

It's a way of telling a tale, and it can be personal, professional, or instructional.

The same basic rules apply whether it’s a screenplay, novel, cartoon, or comic book.

Every story has three basic components. B.M.E.; Beginning, Middle, and End.

BEGINNING

In the beginning, we cover where we are. The opening scene in a movie gives us location, some sense of place, and perhaps even a sense of mood or atmosphere.

We might learn what time in history we are experiencing.

Then, we're introduced to some characters (background characters, supporting characters, or our lead, protagonist or antagonist).

We get a peek at what’s happening at the tale's beginning. What are our characters dealing with? What kind of life do they have? Are they in danger? Are they in love? Are they in a state of confusion?

These are the things we're introducing at the beginning of the story.

We'll also be introduced to the character's conflict or challenge. That will set the stage for the tale's progression.

MIDDLE

By the middle of our story, we know what's happening in this world, what's happening with our characters, and what is at stake. What do they risk gaining or losing as they continue on their journey?

We're also learning how this is affecting the character.

We see the characters struggle to figure out what to do, understand what's to be won or what's to be lost, and how this is affecting them.

Are they pushing forward against all odds or starting to buckle in and feel, "There's no way. I might as well quit. I'm gonna fail.”

And we, the audience, if we care about this character, feel sympathy or empathy for the character, and are engaged in the story, that's what you want.

END

By the end of the story, what do we have?

We have our climax. As the phrase goes, everything is built up via the “rising action.” We've had an incident that set everything off, building suspense and expectations to a climax.

The climax is a big blow-off, whether emotional, physical, or whatever, and then we have a resolution.

We resolve the conflict of the challenge somehow.

Some stories will have a happy ending—yay, we win. Some stories will have tragic endings. Someone will be lost in the process, and maybe the whole thing will be lost.

We're not cheering or thrilled, but we've made it to the end, or the characters have made it.

There's also an open-ended ending, where you leave the audience to speculate what the character will do going forward, how these things will eventually work out, or what the character thinks as it stands alone.

You have your audience or readers talking about that, trying to figure it out, speculating.

Either way, happy ending, tragic ending, or open-ended ending, if you've got your audience involved, engaged, and hooked, they feel satisfied in some way, shape, or form. They've learned how it ends in one way.

They've also learned what's been gained and lost in the story, and hopefully, you, as the writer, have achieved our prime goal. We’ve managed to make the audience feel a certain way.

THE KEY WRITER'S QUESTION

This is why I always ask my students to clarify what they want the audience to take away from the experience.

Building a solid story structure is extremely important and helpful, but so is having a solid vision of what your story should look like at the end because that is what will affect your audience.

Knowing how you want them to feel or what you want them to take away from the story impacts how you design your story for the maximum effect.

If you have any questions, drop me a line.

See you next week with PART TWO.

Best,

Alex Simmons

PS. Write me if you have any questions.

If you need help telling your stories, Click Below and let me know.