Short Story Structure – 13 Points You Don’t Want to Miss | Being The Hero

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Short Story Structure – 13 Points You Don’t Want to Miss

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

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All creative writers are bound to an invisible law of journalism. From the beginning of time, the same structure has been used. Every great writer uses 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 may see it it written a little differently, but it comes down to theme, conflict, conclusion. Regardless of the wording, the answer is basicly 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. You can use anything from a curtain blowing in the wind to a murder scene. 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.

There is a world of difference between plot and theme. The plot, usually associated with the center climax, tells what the story is about. But theme is the driving force, the underlying motivation. The open window with curtains blowing in the breeze is part of a setting, which in turn is part of the larger picture, the plot. For example, when you write a window open, ask yourself, “Why is the window open? What is the point in creating an open window? When you answer this, you are into the theme of the story. Always ask yourself, who, why, where, when, how, what. By answering these questions, you see the theme that runs throughout the story.

How the reader sees the story will be told through the point of view. When told through first person point of view, the reader sees through your eyes (I went to the shop… ). 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. The whims of editors turn; while most newbs like to write in first person, third person will sell best. If you want to sell, you must follow what the editors are buying.

Brief words on these: Characterization – concentrate on description, emotions, attitudes, and failures. If you use accent in dialog, don’t make it the main character. Settings: Choose them wisely; try to use scenery that ties into the plot or theme.

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