Category Archives: Story Structure

At the core of a story’s message is a very simple issue – whether the author is telling us it is better to be like the main character or not.  This is usually thought of as the moral of the story and … Continue reading →

A STORY STRUCTURE QUESTION from our Dramatica story structure software (learn all about it at Storymind.com): “By the end of your story, do you want your main character to have changed his or her nature like Scrooge or to have … Continue reading →

Imagine a story’s structure as a war and the Main Character as a soldier making his way across the field of battle.  In your mind’s eye, you likely see they whole scene spread out in front of you, as if … Continue reading →

You can make your story a lot more focused and targeted if you know what kind of a story you are creating.  A good place to start is to figure out which of the four basic types of stories yours … Continue reading →

A whole flock of Story Gurus (myself included) will tell you that stories have structure. Therefore, if you learn that structure you’ll improve your stories. Ostensibly, this will lead to fame, riches, a keen sense of accomplishment, and the unparalleled … Continue reading →

Most writers are not story theorists, and don’t want to be. Still, an understanding of the way stories work can help support a writer’s instincts to make sure a flawed structure won’t get in the way of the creativity. So … Continue reading →

Groucho Marx once said, “You’re headed for a nervous breakdown. Why don’t you pull yourself to pieces?” That, in fact, is what we’re going to do to our hero. Now many writers focus on a Hero and a Villain as … Continue reading →