Book Club

Story structure – do you need it?

by Alison Morton

If there’s one thing that matters to your success as a writer, it’s story structure. It allows you to quickly diagnose and remedy plot problems as well as helping you to create stories that work.

In our lives, we have a pattern of ordinary life. A sudden event/crisis occurs. We react, face up to it, then sort it out and close it off. Then, having absorbed the consequences of the crisis, we either go back to life as it was or go on in a different direction. Unsurprisingly, because it’s built into our psyche, we structure our fictional stories in a similar way. develop a saggy middle – something we need to avoid if we don’t want to lose momentum in the story. Towards the end of the second act, there is usually a big decision, a significant turning point or a firm course of action. The main character caps the dramatic event at the midpoint with the decision to stop reacting and to take charge of the story. The third act opens with a bang and never lets up. From the 75% mark on, the characters and the readers alike are in for a wild ride. Often chapters become shorter and emotions stronger as the crisis of the story increases, often travelling via a moment of dark despair.

Unless you hook readers into your story from the very first chapter, they won’t dive in to experience the rest of your rousing adventure, high romance or pageturning thriller, no matter how beautiful the writing. The hook comes in many forms, but in essence, the hook is nothing more or less than a question.

The first 20-25% of the book – the first act – comprises the

set-up. Although this seems to be a large chunk of your story to devote to introducing the story, you need to draw readers in enough to care about what happens to the characters and their desires. Near the beginning of this section, there should be an important and irreversible moment: the inciting incident which triggers the whole story. Often the main character is living an ordinary life when something extraordinary disrupts their peace – the arrival of a new bachelor in the area, a space invasion, a shipwreck, the death of a relative, a burglary, or a strange letter dropping on the doormat, or even an internal conflict. Warning: be careful of dumping background/character information in lengthy chunks.

Next comes the second act – the reaction. Your characters find the time and space to react to the inciting incident in a strong (and often irrevocable) way. That reaction, which will lead to another reaction and another and another, launches your second act. The character often goes through shock, denial/disbelief, then burst of excitement/anger, then acceptance and determination to do something to address what has happened.

Next in line is the midpoint and we need a strong centre to hang the rest of the story on. It could be a discovery of something essential, a decision, a make-or-break event, a new character who will be a help or hindrance to the protagonist. Without a strong mid-point, the story can The climax of a story should have readers on the edges of their seats, desperate to know what happens. If you’ve scattered a few clues in previous chapters – even a few enigmatic words or a sentence – they might suspect what’s coming. However, they should also be suffering under the exquisite torture of more than a shade or two of doubt. The conflict in your story officially ends with the climax but most books need an extra scene or two to tie up any loose ends. This is the resolution. As a reader, I like to know what happens to the characters I’ve learned to love, even if that chapter is short. How have you left your readers? Bereft, happy, stimulated? The resolution chapter lets you guide the readers to the emotion you want them to feel when they close your book and ensure your characters remain in their minds for as long as possible. Happy writing!

Alison has compiled a selection of articles from this column into ‘The 500 Word Writing Buddy’, available on Amazon. Her next Roma Nova novel, set in the 4th century, JULIA PRIMA, will be out in the summer.

This Month’s Book Reviews

Daisy’s French Farmhouse by Lorraine Wilson

Review by Jacqui Brown

Having enjoyed previous summer romances from Lorraine Wilson, it was great to be back in the foothills of the Pyrenees in this latest book in her "Escape to France" series, which can be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

Daisy needs a change of scenery, so a summer helping out at the guest house owned by her friend Poppy provides the perfect escape. Daisy intrigued me from the beginning. She has an unusual gift that has caused trouble for her in the past but has just saved her from making a huge mistake and in doing so, opened up new possibilities for her future. It was the energy of this book that I loved the most. Daisy radiates energy and quickly finds herself accepted by the pack of rescue dogs whose energetic antics never failed to make me smile and are now as well-established characters in this series as their humans. Lorraine’s writing also fed my history, cultural and geographical appetites too as we delved into the ancient legends of an area of France she lives in and obviously loves.

It was easy to warm to Daisy and become invested in her journey as she discovers that this place she has run to, may well be the place she feels she finally belongs. Romance and love are not always easy, but this book combined humour with the sadness that comes from difficult circumstances and still made me feel warm and fuzzy. I am a big fan of Lorraine’s writing, and this latest hot summer delight didn’t disappoint. If you want a change of scenery from the Deux-Sèvres this summer, this book will take you to the Aude, Carcassonne and the Pyrenean foothills, but having read it, you might find yourself planning a real visit too, such is Lorraine’s passion for this area.

Five Dead Men by Rachel Green

Review by Jacqui Brown

Sticking with the theme of the Pyrenees, I was delighted to return to the Pyrenees Orientale for the second book in the Madame Renard Investigates series, starring Margot Renard. This time she is sent to a sleepy village where little happens, aside from the gruesome discovery of five bodies in the vault of a villa, whose identities and killer remain unknown.

Margot wastes no time in stirring things up in the village and gaining access to the villa and the dysfunctional family who used to live there. Alongside Alia, who is clearly wasted in her current police municipale position, every shred of evidence from the police files is carefully combed through until a tenuous link is found and our duo then find themselves on the trail of a possible lead, but not everyone is happy with their involvement in this unsolved case.

This book was cleverly crafted with an intriguing plot and lots for my brain to contemplate as I read it. There were dark deeds and mysterious characters whose behaviour attracts suspicion, and as Margot set off into unknown territory, the plot became both thrilling and heart-stopping in places. Despite the danger she found herself in, there was something about Margot’s calm and clear thinking that gave me great confidence in her ability not only to solve the case, but to survive.

If you are looking for something engaging to read this summer, I’m sure you will love Five Dead Men.