3: Structuring for Dummies

I never really understood story structure beyond the elementary teacher level of Beginning, Middle, and End. We primary teachers are excellent at dumbing down complicated topics—it’s a gift. When I began writing my stories for gifts, they did have the elements of storytelling; however, this was due more to my knowledge from reading fiction skills rather than anything formal. My first completed manuscript, Arie and the Secrets of the Past, was a perfect example of this. As my basic writing skills grew, this manuscript morphed from a 19,000 word dialogue-dominant short story to a 50,000 less dialogue-heavy “masterpiece.” The multiple drafts of “Arie” were all written without a clue about story structure.

That was a year ago. Since then I’ve discovered several writing podcasts and have read books about the subject. My current read is Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland. I know a bit about The Story Grid and even less about Save the Cat! I’d still call myself a plotter amateur, but at least I have a deeper understanding of how to outline and structure my ideas. My latest manuscript, The Dreamweavers, was composed using what I’ve learned. Another endeavor, called “The Blend Kids,” is even more rooted in worldbuilding and outlining.

What am I getting at? My writing is a constant work in progress, but at least I’m progressing. I’ve never had an issue with idea percolation. Now I’m gaining skills to allow these ideas to grow.