There are certain elements that every story needs to succeed – for example, strong characters and realistic settings – but one of the most important is structure because it impacts every other element of storytelling. According to The Novel Smithy, ‘Story structures are culturally recognized frameworks for telling engaging stories with maximum emotional impact.’ This is a lofty claim, but are they really that important?
The answer is yes. Without a structure, your novel is just a collection of scenes with no forward movement. And those get very dull very quickly. Having a structure will help you create compelling and engaging plots that capture and hold your readers’ attention, pace your novel appropriately, and even generate more ideas. Structures can make your writing process easier because you’ll know what needs to happen when.
So, hopefully, I’ve convinced you that structure is vitally important, but now you face the struggle of deciding which structure to use. Luckily, you have many options; unluckily, you have many options. But, fear not. I am here to break down each of the most popular structures. Let’s begin.
The Three-Act Structure
The three-act structure is perhaps the most famous and commonly used story structure. Based on Aristotle’s Poetics, this structure believes that every story has a beginning, a middle and an end or the Set Up, the Confrontation and the Resolution. This structure can be applied to any genre because it’s so flexible.
The Seven-Point Structure
The seven-point structure includes more defined plot points/beats that allow you to structure your novel in a more symmetrical way: your resolution will mimic your hook; Plot Point 1 mimics Plot Point 2; then you have two pinch points and a midpoint. These seven beats essentially form an act in themselves. This is particularly helpful to work out the story arc.
Freytag’s Pyramid
Freytag’s Pyramid was created by Gustave Freytag in the 19th century after he studied his favourite plays. He constructed this pyramid to organise a tragic narrative into five distinct parts: the introduction, rising action, the climax, falling action and the catastrophe/resolution. This structure works the best for tragedies (it was based on classical and Shakespearean tragedies, after all), and, although it can be adapted for stories with happy endings, know that it is less applicable to genres that require more positive outcomes.
The Fichtean Curve
The Fichtean Curve comprises three segments: rising action, the climax and falling action. This structure encourages a faster-paced plot, so it is ideal for action, adventure and character-driven novels. Throughout the rising action, your protagonist will come up against crisis after crisis that escalate in severity until the story reaches its climax. This is followed by a period of resolution. The Fichtean Curve can work for the majority of genres, and you can have a separate Fichtean Curve for each viewpoint character.
The Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s Journey is a three-part structure that stretches back millennia. The three parts are the departure (the protagonist leaves their ordinary world), the initiation (the protagonist ventures into unknown territory and has to adapt to survive) and the return (the protagonist returns in triumph). There are twelve beats in these three acts, but you don’t necessarily need to hit all of them to make the Hero’s Journey because this structure is so flexible.
The Dan Harmon Story Circle
TV writer Dan Harmon developed a story structure that he called the story circle or the embryo, which he adapted from the Hero’s Journey and mythology. This follows the protagonist through eight stages that sees the hero leaving their home to go on an adventure and then return in triumph. The story circle works well with most genres, particularly character-driven stories.
Save the Cat
Blake Snyder developed the Save the Cat method as a way to plot screenplays, but it has become popular with novelists too. Its 15 beats help writers pace their novels appropriately and drive their characters and plot forwards. This structure is flexible; however, there is one rule: your protagonist must do something early on that makes them likeable (they must ‘save the cat’). This will only work if you are writing a likeable protagonist; if your protagonist is an anti-hero, it might be less applicable.
Summary of Plot Structure
This article has listed the major plot structures that writers use to plot their novels – for example, the Three-Act Structure, the Hero’s Journey, or Save the Cat. These structures are designed to help you plot your novels effectively. But know that these structures can be adapted to better fit the story you are telling. If you genuinely think your story is best told using a completely different structure or a mixture of structures, then do it (note, it may be a harder sell to literary agents, but, if you genuinely think your way is best, then you should follow your gut). These structures are just there to make your life easier.
Comments