So you're a writer... or you want to be a writer and you have no idea where to start. No worries! I've been there, and I've got your back. If you have an idea for a story, read on to find out how to get that idea onto paper (or more realistically a Word doc) and out of your head.
STEP ONE: STUDY STORY STRUCTURE
If you just read that and thought, "Wait, what's story structure?" then you're where I was when I sat down to write my first novel as a seventeen-year-old with little more writing know-how than what I'd been taught in high school English. I knew stories needed to have a beginning, a middle, and an end. I also knew there needed to be a climax, and a denouement (or winding down of all things) somewhere around the end, but if you asked me what sort of scenes needed to go where and how to build tension or get the right pacing to keep a reader engaged, I would have had no idea how to do that.
This is where learning about structuring a story changed my writing life.
Story structure is, in essence, the bones of your story. My editors will tell you they've acquired novels that needed superficial level editing (things like voice, prose, word crutches, etc, which I can go into more in other blogs), but if the author didn't have a clear grasp on story structure, the editors more than likely rejected the manuscript. If that seems harsh, think of it this way: it's easier to change the clothes and makeup, maybe even the tone or definition of a body than it is to rearrange the skeleton.
So now you're likely saying, "Okay, I get the need for story structure, but you still haven't told me HOW I'm supposed to structure a story," and you'd be right. Honestly, it's far too complicated to lay out in a single blog post, and if you try to go the easy route and search for a story structure outline, you'll get something like this:
I don't know about you, but I think that leaves a lot to be desired in terms of a how-to, doesn't it? (Not to mention it's wrong.) Never fear, my friends! I'm not going to leave you hanging! I'm going to tell you about the single greatest resource I've uncovered in my many, many years of trying to become a professional writer.
Here it is: You need to read "Save the Cat Writes a Novel" by Jessica Brody.
(And before you ask, no, this isn't a sponsored blog. Jessica doesn't even know I exist, but I'm telling you, this book is THE book to read if you want to have solid bones in your story.)
WHAT IS SAVE THE CAT AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH WRITING?
I'm so glad you asked. Save The Cat was originally a book by screenplay writer Blake Snyder (RIP), who realized all great movies are structured on 15 story beats that connect to movie-goers in the most primal, human way. In his novel, which is an instruction manual to writing a sellable screenplay, Snyder claims that by focusing your story on these 15 beats, you'll not only have a well-paced movie with the perfect story structure, but you'll also have the means to take your main character on a journey of growth in the most entertaining way possible. In other words, this is the way you write a screenplay worth watching.
Fast forward some years, and popular novelist Jessica Brody took Snyder's original idea and expanded it to novel writers. In Save the Cat Writes a Novel, Brody walks you through each step of the developmental process, from making your main character story-worthy to figuring out your novel's 15 beats (that whole "what scene goes where and why" thing I mentioned before), to even helping you classify your genre and what elements need to be included to properly meet the needs of that genre. She goes so far as to tell you how long each of these beats should last in terms of percentage of the total novel (to keep the pacing right), among many other priceless storytelling insights.
At this point, you might still be wondering about the cat. It's simple. Snyder proposed that any main character could be made likable (even the unlikeable ones) if they did something nice for someone else in the first few scenes of the movie/chapters of the book because it would ensure the audience/reader would still root for them since they're showing they've got redeemable value right off the bat. Example and fun fact: In Disney-Pixar's The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible is late for his wedding (yikes!) because he's (literally) saving a cat.
CONCLUSION
The first step to writing a great novel is studying story structure so you can have solid bones in your book and a strong foundation to edit later. Speaking from experience, it's the best thing you can do if you legitimately want to be published someday. But if you're sitting back thinking, "Hey, you didn't tell me how to structure a story. You just recommended I buy a book and left me alone with the wolves. I'm disappointed in you!" just hear me out. I could give you the basics in another post (let me know if you want that!), but it'd seriously be lacking and only scratching at the surface of everything story structure entails. As someone who wants you to succeed, I'm telling you to do yourself a favor and invest in the book. Study it until the pages are ripping and falling out (like my personal copy), and use it to make the strongest bones your story could ask for. You won't regret it.
Check back later for STEP TWO to writing a great story and until then, write on!
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