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As writers, we follow a story structure with the instinct of knowing where the rise and fall in the action needs to be. However, when something is off in the pacing of a story, that's when all the discussions come out about one of countless number of models for story structure and the analytical tools associated with it.
However, for some writers, fully plotting out a novel kills the joy in writing that novel. So, finding the balance between plotting and pantsing is important. (And for those who don't know, pantsing is another term for discovery writing, where you write whatever comes to your mind, with no plan of how to move forward.)
When working through the story structure for a story, there are certain beat points that will help progress the story from start to finish. They are decision points where the main character reacts to events going on around them, driving the plot in a particular direction based on the choices they make.
This guide targets these key decision-making points within a manuscript. Working through this worksheet, you will not have a fully plotted out novel, but you will hopefully have a better understanding of certain scenes, helping you to identify the core beat points for your story.
If you would like to learn more about story structure, be sure to check out my book Antagonistic Beats of a Story: Understanding the Role of the Antagonist in Story Structure.
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