Get some insights into the rise and fall of a story and how you might improve the passing of your own novel.
Goodreads Review:
This book was reviewed by the JLM Book Club in December 2023. The book provides a good in-depth description of plot structure and scene structure, with consistent examples throughout.
It was noted that the all-is-lost moment was not discussed in detail like the other plot points, but it was nice to see the antagonistic pinch points discussed.
The only major failing that the book club found was that this book does not allow for antagonists that are not of the "good guy vs bad guy" model.
It was decided to recommend this book to newer writers, who are just getting their head around story structure.
Please note that there is a companion workbook for this book too.
Is Structure the Hidden Foundation of All Successful Stories?
Why do some stories work and others don’t? The answer is structure. In this IPPY and NIEA-Award winning guide from the author of the bestselling Outlining Your Novel, you will learn the universal underpinnings that guarantee powerful plot and character arcs. An understanding of proper story and scene structure will show you how to perfectly time your story’s major events and will provide you with an unerring standard against which to evaluate your novel’s pacing and progression. Structuring Your Novel will show you:
- How to determine the best techniques for empowering your unique and personal vision for your story.
- How to identify common structural weaknesses and flip them around into stunning strengths.
- How to eliminate saggy middles by discovering your “centerpiece.”
- Why you should NEVER include conflict in every scene.
- How to discover the questions you don’t want readers asking about your plot—and then how to get them to ask the right questions.