Skip to content

Structure centers us on the story map

David Gane
David Gane

Sometimes story ideas can be too big and unwieldy. Even worse, we might not even understand how many parts it holds and where they belong. It makes us lost and confused.

This is where structure comes in.

It helps us survey the land of our story, even if we can't see all the pieces and lays them out in a way we can to make sense of it. It breaks it down, so we can tackle each part independently.

Structure is our map to discover and chart our story world and helps center us within it.

Blog
David Gane

David Gane Twitter

Co-writer of the Shepherd and Wolfe young adult mysteries, the internationally award-winning series, and teacher of storytelling and screenwriting.

Comments

Related Posts

Members Public

What's it for?

Seth Godin recently asked two questions in a blog post: "Who's it for? What's it for?" When writing, do you know who it's for? It doesn't have to be an audience with a capital "A." It doesn't have to be for any audience; it can be for just you. But

Members Public

Journey with your characters

Most people can't have the whole story in their heads. Too many pieces, too many moving parts. That doesn't mean you must plan it out. Once your character's story takes shape, then begin. Allow yourself to be surprised and adapt, and let your imagination take you on a journey. That

Members Public

The lies our characters tell themselves

Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon tells the story of a priest and woodcutter trying to understand a murder by listening to the testimonies of the multiple people involved. Ultimately, they struggle to find the truth amongst the lies. A similar type of story occurs within each of us. We tell ourselves multiple