W Plot Structure
Storyfix is proud to bring you a 10-part tutorial on the fundamentals of story structure. Today’s post is #1 in that series. Introducing the Four Parts of Story Some writers like things in nice little boxes. Others, not so much. Either way, you can look at your story like a box, of sorts. You toss in all kinds of. Common in popular novels, television, and Hollywood films, the 'W' plot structure is named for its graphical representation, which resembles the letter 'W.' In the 'W' plot, the protagonist encounters a series of obstacles to achieving their objective.
Anovel structure has to do with the story and the plot –the way the actionunfolds, peaks, and resolves. It comprises the content of a story and the formused to tell the story.
Writing anovel is no easy taskand there is no secret recipe or magical formula to complete a manuscript. Atthat point when you feel you have an excellent idea for a story, the precedingline of thought should be ‘What do I do next?’
The next line of action is creating a novel structure to ease the process of putting your first draft together.
Novels arefictional booksthat tell and elaborate stories. There are elements such as plot, theme, characters,and setting implored to tell a particular story conclusively. The way a tale ispresented can differ from one writer to the other but these elements willremain indivisible factors of any meaningful story.
Itwill be too familiar and perhaps boring if all novels tell the same story inthe same way. There is a need for novelists to know the significant structures,create twists, and own their way of presenting the tales to the readers.
Understandinghow to structure a novel is vital if you want your story to be satisfying readand consequently, a best seller (who doesn’t want this?). A well-structured fictionalnarrative creates clarityand ensures you stick to a plan on how the actions roll out and resolve.
What is a Novel Structure?
Structure refers to how writers divide a story into parts and how they connect and resolve each phase to attain that much anticipated conclusion. It also points to how you can build and arrange a story around a central idea or theme.
In simpler terms, a novel structure is a means ofgiving a clear definition of the beginning, the middle, and the end of a story.This layout will ensure a fluid writing process because writing novels is cumbersome.
How to Structure a Novel
So you have a plot in your head(probably a single line summary of your story), you have connected variousscenarios, and feel the story can make a best seller or at least provide a fascinatingreading experience – great.
The next step will be to create a story structure. Here is an example from Cinderella on how to structure a novel:
Many side-line this crucialstep and dive right into scribbling their imaginary scenes, characters, andactions. However, that is one reason why novelists find it hard to complete astory. Without structure, chances are you will lose coherence, and that is thelast thing you want.
Some writers like to wing it, buteven in stories that were written with only a loose outline, one can stillnotice a particular structure. Sometimes this can come naturally as we areorators. Transcending the thresholds of the standard and natural is what makesyour story stand out.
An underlying story structure has a beginning, middle, and end. If you're struggling with structure, using a novel writing template can be helpful:
This is a basic, generalized fiction template that can be worked into any genre once you have your details fleshed out. It offers guidelines that won't inhibit your ideas or creativity.
The Beginning
This is the part that kick startsyour story. An inciting incident which propels your account is introduced here.The inciting incident can come in various forms.
You can decide to present the primary characters (protagonists) of your story ordescribe some problematic situation that will require the protagonist to make adecision. This initial decision will determine the direction of the story.
Note that there is no fixed approachfor beginning a novel. It is your story and so is centered on your world,fictional or not. Dive into the scene, own the plot, and give it a touch ofyou.
Also in this phase, the setting ofthe story is established so that readers have an idea where they are heading asthey enter the next stage.
In J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, for example, the inciting incidentis the arrival of some mysterious letters which were sent to Harry fromHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The Middle
After the purpose of the story andwants of the main character or characters (in the case of more than oneprotagonist) are defined, you enter the middle phase.
This supplies them with obstacles tobring out unique qualities in them for moral purposes or otherwise. Every storyis primarily based on the concept of ‘someonewants something but has trouble getting it.’
The beginning introduces the ‘someone,’ and what they want and themiddle presents the challenges or the factors that make them ‘have trouble getting what they want’.
Also in this part, a lot of secondarycharacters come and go. In some cases, protagonists may disappear from thestory entirely. When this happens, we refer to those characters as falseprotagonists. Many novelists use this concept to create unexpected twists intheir stories while writing a book.
Caution should be applied here, sothe storyline doesn’t lose meaning and begin to bore the readers.
The Conclusion
There is often a climax towards theend of the story leading to a necessary resolution. If you are writing a crimenovel, for instance, this phase is expected to contain the resolution of theconflict bounding the story after you have laced the atmosphere with so muchsuspense.
The concluding part of the storyreveals a different side of the characters –through overcoming their challengesand scaling the obstacles, they reach a point of self-realization or discoverynecessary to resolve and end the story.
A good story structure allows you to have an introductionof characters and setting, a development, and a conclusion. With thisarrangement, you see the importance of each phase.
For example, trying to introduce yourcharacters and setting throughout the novel will rid the story ofsophistication and intrigue. The readers think ‘what exactly are you writingabout and when will you begin getting on with it?’
Allowing your characters to develop,for their goals to grow and, perhaps, change immerses a reader in yourfictional world and keeps their attention watered.
Types of Novel Structure
It’s essential to understand thetypes of novel structures if you want to learn how to write a book that will stand out from the crowd. Beforecreating a novel structure, having a comprehensive knowledge of the kinds ofstory structures that exist is paramount.
1. The Three-Act Structure
The three-act story structure is a popular technique used by novelists in structuring their stories. It divides the story into three parts:
The First Act
This is where the story is set. Thecharacters and conflicts are introduced here. This part usually ends in adisastrous situation that will require the primary role (s) to make a decisionand commit themselves to the story.
The Second Act
This is the most extended section ofthe story. Here, we see the characters hurled through adventures andchallenges. Some major situations here can make the story take on a newdirection.
The Third Act
After the long second act, theconflicts reach a climax where the characters have to give their all totriumph. There is often a resolution of these conflicts geared at attaining the‘great end.’
Examples of novels that employed thethree-act structure include Harry Potter and Twilight.
2. Mirror Structure
This technique doesn’t require you tosegment your book into acts although you can if you so desire. It involvesleaving sections of the book incomplete, with issues you only resolve later on.
W Plot Structure
This means you start with the lastcharacter or setting and end with the first character or background. Thisstructure was used effectively by David Mitchell in Cloud Atlas.
Since any approach at structuring astudy is acceptable, provided that it is excellent and engaging, the mirrorstructure can be a fantastic method for your novel.
3. Milieu Story Structure
Every story has a milieu. The milieu comprises all the elements involvedduring the creation of your story’s imaginary world. It entails the society,the weather, the family and several other factors.
When a story is structured around themilieu, the elements of the milieu is what the writer is concerned about. Itmight be to explore strange terrains or to draw the attention of readers tospecific changes in nature.
The structure of a milieu storyallows a character with the same point of view we have to explore strangeplaces. The role is then transformed by the exciting features of that place andreturns a new person.
Novels with this structureinclude The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and JonathanSwift’s Gulliver’s Travels.
4. The Idea Story Structure
Idea stories project discoveries andinformation through the eyes of the characters. The structure, in its mostbasic form, involves raising a question to start the story. The end is onlyreached when the subject is answered.
This structure is best fit formysteries especially when the story begins with a crime. The question of whodid it and why arises, and it becomes the purpose of the narrative to answerthe question.
Sandra Brown’s Smoke Screen isan excellent example of a novel with this type of structure.
5. The Event Story Structure
The universe is wrapped in fabrics oforder. When a story depicts the rise of a feature that causes the ordinaryaffairs of the world to derail, we say it is an event story. Here, there isoften a rise of a new order to dispute the old one.
The event story begins when thecharacter whose role is involved in the establishment of the new order comes tothe scene. The end can come with different twists. It could end with therestoration of the old order like in the Mortal Engines movie or with the new world triumphing.
In rare cases, both worlds areenveloped in chaos as the forces of order are destroyed. AlthoughTolkien’s Lord of The Rings isa series, it is still a perfect example of novels with the event storystructure.
6. The Character Story Structure
In a character story, the focus isplaced on the transformation abilities of a character.
Stories with this structure oftendescribe how a character develops abilities to change certain things insociety. The author reveals less of who the character is, and more of what thecharacter does and the influence those actions have on the society.
In most cases, the story begins withthe main character showing signs of unhappiness, impatience or anger in theirpresent condition. This invokes a yearning for a charge. The story ends withthe character being transformed and made to assume a new role.
The Member of the Weddingis a classic novel by CarsonMcCullers that employed this novel structure.
How to Pick the Best StoryStructure for Your Novel
Several factors determine the rightstructure or combination of structures to use in your novel. First, you need toconsider your characters. What will be their roles? How will they achieve theirgoals?
If your story is about solving acrime problem, the idea story structure can come in handy as an augmentation ofthe three-act structure.
Fantasies and science fictions are mostlywritten using the milieu story structure. However, it is acceptable to breakout from usual conventions and do something extraordinary.
The three-act structure is the mostpopular technique when it comes to structuring a novel and even screenplays.Using such a structure in its basic form without significant twists or acombination of other arrangements will only result in a published novel that isno different from many others.
You Are Ready to CreateYour Novel Structure
We have seen that structure plays anessential role in the process of writing your novel. It ensures you know what you’rewriting and don’t run out of ideas too quickly.
The W Plot Structure
A good story structure can also saveyou time. Think of it as a template detailing the progression of yourstoryline.
Know that there is no perfect approach and mistakes are welcomed. Therefore, be free to try different techniques and settle for those that help in telling your story better.