![]() I zero in on those areas that feel weak or wrong and try to decode where the story has departed from its own specific, individual plot logic. ![]() I map out the plot as it unfolds, scene by scene, and see what it has to tell me. Rather than rely on story templates, I lean on my reader sense to tell me when a manuscript I’m editing drags or zigs when it should zag. The truth is I think every story has its own unique rhythm and structure. Outside genre fiction, I’m seeing more interest in non-Western story structures or structures that follow shapes that aren’t an arc. One writer or editor might be able to distill the story structure that works for them into a generalized template, but that structure might not be workable-or even comprehensible-to another writer. Each time, however, I find that whatever template I’m trying to apply doesn’t naturally fit the work I’m trying to apply it to-like I’m trying to fit a tiny, exquisite doll’s coat onto a toddler having a tantrum. I’ve even considered their structures as I developed the plot of my own novel. I’ve tried applying them to my clients’ work. ![]() (I’ve discussed many: see these reviews of Shawn Coyne’s Story Grid, Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, James Scott Bell’s Write Your Novel from the Middle, and John Truby’s The Anatomy of Story.) I’ve spent time mapping them out against one another, seeing if I can spot commonalities. ![]() If you pull out your writing craft books and look for advice on plot structure or search online for plot templates, you’ll find an enormous variety. ![]()
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