A story is an assortment of events that move the plot forward. These events should be completely independent, and each one should have a strong beginning and end, followed by a cause and effect relationship. The plot is the sequence of these events. Audiences need a good plot to engage their imagination in the story, so they can easily follow the plot.
Our life story is a complex one, and there are many different directions we could take it. We could do some serious research on the best way to structure a story and then write a book. We could go back to school to get a degree in writing and then use that to write a novel. Or, we could just wing it and hope for the best.
A story has three parts: setting, plot, and climax.
- The setting is the time and place you are writing about.
- The plot is the story you tell.
- The climax is the most exciting part of the story, often when the main character does something hugely significant.
Understanding Story structure
A story has a plot, a beginning, a middle, and an end. While plot and characters drive the story, structure keeps the story on track. Before you write a story, think about the beginning, the middle, and the end of the story and how you want to tell it. This helps keep your story on track and makes it easier for you to write. A Story is a narrative in which a protagonist experiences an emotional response, usually a conflict, from a series of physical or emotional events that move the story forward.
Different Types of Story Structures
- A three-act structure
For centuries, artists have been creating stories that follow a three-act structure. Act 1 is the setup or exposition. Act 2 is the rise and fall of the main character, and Act 3 is the climax, as well as the resolution. The rise and fall part of the story can be just as important as the climax. You can’t have a climax without a buildup or a failure before the climax. You can’t have a setup without an exposition or a rise and fall.
- A hero’s journey
Every story has an underlying structure that determines how it progresses. The hero’s journey is a recurring pattern of events that is present in nearly every story. The following points can summarize these events (and their progression): First, the hero is not the same person in all stories. Their actions and experiences are interpreted as the consequences of their decisions. Secondly, the hero’s journey is experienced as a series of actions to a destination. Finally, the hero’s journey is completed when the hero crosses a threshold, either literally or metaphorically.
- A snowflake method
If you’re new to writing, you may have never heard of the Snowflake method. But if you’ve tried to write a novel before and got stuck, you may want to give this some attention. It’s a technique that helps you organize your novel; it’s named after the way snowflakes fall. Snowflakes are some of the most beautiful creatures in nature, but they’re also some of the most fragile. The same can be said for the Snowflake method, which helps you organize your novel efficiently.
- A Freytag’s pyramid
This pyramid is a diagram that is used to describe the common elements in stories. It is named after a German writer, Gustav Freytag, who created the pyramid in 1835. The story pyramid can be used to help writers gain an understanding of the main elements that are used to create a story. Freytag’s pyramid happens to be among the most famous examples of a basic story structure. Freytag’s pyramid is a story structure that consists of an introduction, rising conflict, climax, and falling action. The outline is designed to be as simple as possible, and it’s used when you’re working on a short story, novel, or play. It’s named after E. T. A. Hoffmann, who first proposed it.
Story structures, such as the introduction, body, and conclusion, are some of the most important parts of a narrative. They are there to make sure your writing is clear and organized, give the reader a clear idea of what you’re trying to say, and provide a foundation for the rest of your writing.
