Short Story Structure – 13 Points You Don’t Want to Miss
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All creative writers are bound to an invisible law of journalism. There is nothing new about a story structure; only the plot is new. All of the great writers use it. But after this lesson, you will see that story structure is far more than the initial breakdown:
· Exposition – the beginning, what the story is about
· Conflict – conflict with man vs. man, man vs. nature, or man vs. internal conflict
· Climax
· Resolution
If you Google “story structure,” you will find variations of the story structure. You might find plot, conflict, conclusion – or theme, climax, and conclusion. Regardless of how it is worded, the basic answer is the same. Without any one of these elements, the story will flounder.
But you must expound on the following things, no matter what kind of story you are writing:
· Point of View
· Plot
· Theme
· Setting
· Characterization
· Dialog
· Action
· Writing style
· Genre
If you want to transfer your reader from their sofa or chair to the scene in your mind, you must use settings. Using settings wisely is the name of the game; if a curtain blowing in the wind works for the scene, use it. If you pick up halfway in the middle of an action scene, you will nail the reader. This ploy will grab your audience by the throat.
Some writers who have been writing for years don’t know the difference between theme and plot. Plot is what the story is about. Theme, however, is the motivation and driving force of the story. An open window, for example, would lead to a deeper part of the story, the plot. For example, when you write a window open, ask yourself, “Why is the window open? What does the open window add to the story? These questions lead you to the theme of the story. Always ask yourself, who, why, where, when, how, what. The theme that drives the story will be found in the answers to these questions.
Point of view tells how the reader views the story. The reader will see the story through your eyes if you use first person point of view (I went to the store… ). When the story is told through the third person point of view, (She went to the fishfry… ), the viewer will see through the character’s eyes. New writers usually like to write in first person, but most editors are now buying mostly third person. Selling authors follow what the editors are buying.
A few brief words on some of the above: Characterization – make your characters real to the reader by concentrating on descriptions, attitudes, failures, and quirks. Use accents if you must, but not on the main character. Settings: Choose them wisely; try to use scenery that ties into the plot or theme.
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