Following our article on the importance of understanding your story’s genre, we’re exploring types of story structure that you can utilise as you create your first draft, edit your manuscript, and prepare to publish your novel…
** Please note: This is not an exhaustive list of story structures! **
Hero’s Journey
The hero’s journey is made up of several components that allow key elements of a story to function effectively, including:
1 – The ordinary world.
2 – Call to adventure.
3 – Refusal of the call.
4 – Meeting with the mentor.
5 – Crossing the first threshold.
6 – Tests, allies, and enemies.
7 – Approach to the innermost cave.
8 – Ordeal.
9 – Reward.
10 – The road back.
11 – Resurrection.
12 – Return with elixir.
Examples of stories that follow the hero’s journey are:
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.
- The Odyssey by Homer.
- The Lion King (film).
To explore the hero’s journey structure in a little more detail and find out whether it works for your story, we recommend reading The Ultimate Guide to Editing your Novel by Sara Grant.
Three Act Structure
Perhaps one of the most classic story frameworks, the three act structure includes a beginning, a middle, and an end. In its simplest form, here’s what tends to be included in each act:
- Act 1 – Sets up the story with an inciting incident that raises the key question for your audience (e.g. in Back to the Future, Marty accidentally ends up in 1955 – raising the question, ‘Will Marty make it back to the future?’)
- Act 2 – In this ‘middle’ section of the three act structure, the protagonist experiences complications that escalate as the story progresses; often influenced by an antagonist or antagonistic forces.
- Act 3 – This section of the structure includes the climax (i.e. the event towards which the story has been building) and resolution (i.e. addressing the key question raised in Act 1).
Examples of stories that follow the three act structure are:
- Back to the Future (film).
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
- 1984 by George Orwell.
To delve into the three act structure in greater detail, we recommend reading The Story Book by David Baboulene.
Save the Cat
Originally, ‘Save the Cat’ was created for screenwriters – however, many novelists noticed how effective it was for them, too. This structure builds on the three act structure, and focuses on 15 emotional ‘beats’ that offer a detailed framework upon which to develop a story:
Act 1…
1 – Opening image.
2 – Theme stated.
3 – Setup.
4 – Catalyst.
5 – Debate.
Act 2…
6 – Break into 2.
7 – B story.
8 – Fun and games.
9 – Midpoint.
10 – Bad guys close in.
11 – All is lost.
12 – Dark night of the soul.
Act 3…
13 – Break into 3.
14 – Finale.
15 – Final image.
Examples of stories that follow the ‘Save the Cat’ structure are:
- Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.
- Bridget Jones’s Diary (film).
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
To discover more about the ‘Save the Cat’ story structure as it applies to novel writing, we recommend reading Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody.
Which story structure will you be using to craft your novel? Are there any story or plot structures you find helpful for your books? What do you think is the best way to subvert traditional plots and story structures? Please let us know 🙂
Thanks for reading!
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