Usher Your Reader from Beginning to End with Story Structure
Story structure is one of those topics that requires a full-length book to illuminate properly. What I intend to do with this article is explain the basics of what it is, why it’s important, and how you can benefit from using it.
What is it? I used to think it was the outline for a formulaic way of writing. Maybe that’s what you think, too. But it’s not. It’s more like a skeleton upon which to hang your story. Your story can play out in a million different ways, but like a house made of bricks, it needs something to prop up the form as a whole. No matter who your characters are, what their dilemma is, what your writing style may be, the structure of your story will help to usher the reader from beginning to end. Without structure, the writer risks getting off to a slow start, sinking into the muddy middle, and/or crashing and burning at the end.
What is this magical thing called story structure? At its simplest, it’s a pathway from the beginning to the middle to the end. It keeps things moving. What follows are the basics. There are always exceptions to the rules, and I’m sure there are successful novels that break these rules. However, readers naturally expect stories to take a certain shape—whether they realize it or not—and story structure is the thing that gives story shape. Learn the basics first; then feel free to break the rules as you see fit.
1) The Hook. The beginning of the story must capture the reader’s attention. How? Pique their interest and/or curiosity—and do it fast. Because it’s the start of the book, this first scene must also introduce the main character, the setting, and whatever conflict and tension is present in the protagonist’s world. It’s a lot to juggle, and that’s why the start of the book is so tricky. The hook is often written and rewritten several times before the writer gets it just right.
It’s the job of the first chapter to get the reader to care as quickly as possible. That’s why the main character is so important. Most of the time, the hook features the protagonist. The idea is to get the reader involved in whatever is happening to the protagonist so that he becomes emotionally involved. Secondary is the setting in which the action is taking place. Where are we, what year is it, what time of year, what other characters are involved? The answers to these questions must be established to some degree.
Gone are the days when it was acceptable for a book to open with a long, descriptive paragraph of straight setting. Now most stories begin in media res (in the middle of things). That means there’s no time for backstory. The writer jumps right in to the forward-moving action; describes an interesting, high-tension scene; shows the main character in action; and in general gets the ball rolling.
What’s going to happen? Will the protagonist be all right? Will life return to the usual, or will her world crumble and she’ll be forced to pick up the pieces? (The answer is B, world crumbles and she’s forced to pick up the pieces.)
The hook has one main hurdle to leap: it must put a question in the mind of the reader that piques his curiosity. If done right, the reader will gladly stick with the story. If not, he’ll put the book aside.
2) First Chapters. The first few chapters make up the first act. Once the reader is hooked, you will introduce your protagonist more fully, along with the antagonist, and the secondary characters. In addition, the setting and the stakes of the story will more fully come to light. Things are happening to the protagonist, who is fighting the idea that her world is changing and her “normal” is no more. We’ll see both her strengths and weaknesses in action.
3) At the 25 percent mark, the first plot point occurs. Other points of interest have occurred before this one, but this particular plot point is a biggie; some call it the “point of no return.” Something of significance happens that your protagonist can’t deny. He can no longer hope his “normal” is not gone forever. This occurrence marks the end of the first act; the character’s reaction to what has happened begins the second act.
4) The Second Act makes for about 50 percent of the book. This is sometimes called the “act of confrontation.” The main character will confront conflict after conflict on the way to achieving her goal. She will move forward, gaining knowledge and skills that will be needed to face the antagonist in the third act. The antagonist may be a villain, a force of nature, or even the protagonist’s inner demons. During the second act, the protagonist will grapple with the weaknesses that hold her back. Meanwhile, the antagonist continues to apply pressure, even if only from afar. Continue to dive deeper into character and build the portent for what’s to come in the third act.
5) The Midpoint occurs in the Second Act. It’s the story’s second major plot point. After it occurs, everything changes once again, and the main character must not only react but take charge (as you can see, the story structure helps to create the protagonist’s character arc). Like an inciting event, this is a big moment in the story that will change the direction of the story. Up until this point, the protagonist has been defending himself—but now that this happens, he must change his mindset and go on the attack. This scene should occur very close to the 50 percent mark.
6) In the Second Half of the Second Act, the protagonist is moving in the right direction but is still not well enough prepared, still not knowledgeable enough to take on the antagonist and win. Near the end of the second act, the antagonist will gain another win in some way, just to remind us that she’s not backing down and is as strong as ever. The second half of the second act is your last chance to set everything up for the third act.
7) The Third Act is the final 25 percent of the book. It starts big and ends bigger: in other words, the story has been heading in this direction the entire time, building since page one, and all of the rising tension and action will come to fruition. The main character will have to overcome his weaknesses and take a path that leads directly to the antagonist, whoever or whatever that may be. This act begins with a story-changing plot point that drops him to his lowest low. He’s very close to achieving his goal, but then the rug is pulled out from under him once again. It looks like he’s not going to get what he’s worked so hard for—and yet, he can’t give up.
8) The Climax. This is what the reader has been waiting for: the last 10 percent of the book. She has some idea of what has to happen at this point but no clear idea what will actually result. It may be a tragic ending, or it may be a happy ending. Either way, the reader must feel fulfilled in the end. The climax of the story will end the tension between protagonist and antagonist. The protagonist, whether he wins or loses, overcomes his weaknesses and does what needs to be done.
9) Denouement. In the final few pages, you allow your reader to sit back and enjoy/process all that’s happened. You tie up all loose ends, and hint at the future for your characters.
And that’s story structure in a nutshell. Or at least the highlights of story structure. It’s complicated, I know. It might take some time to sink in and to get used to. Try applying it to your next story or novel, and see what you think, see if it helps you put together a better story. If you’d like to learn more, there are several good books on the market to help you.
I hope you’ve found this quick explanation of the basics of story structure useful. Have you been using the rules of story structure to write your novels and short stories? Is this new to you? Comment below!
Kim Catanzarite has been a freelance writer and editor for almost three decades, and she teaches copyediting for Writer’s Digest University. Her sci-fi thriller, They Will Be Coming for Us, published June 1, 2021, and has received strong reviews from Kirkus, BlueInk, Prairies, Foreword, Readers’ Favorite, and Amazon and Goodreads readers.
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