How Do You Design and Structure Your Story?

A strong bridge requires a robust structure to gain strength.

Similarly, a good story needs to be structured well in order to have a strong appeal. The most famous and apt definition of structure has been offered by none other than Aristotle who famously remarked that every story should have ‘a beginning, a middle and an end.’

And most of us feel that it is true about any piece of writing.

But that may not always be the case.

Simply put, the beginning of a story seeks to provide a brief introduction where you may like us to meet the principal characters and hint at the basic theme or idea.

The middle carries the conflict or complication and develops it to a point of highest tension.

And the ending offers a finding or resolution.

A good beginning always leads to the logical center and thereafter, to an appropriate end. These three parts seamlessly flow into each other and combine to present a larger picture.

Now, someone may ask:

Can’t I start with the ending first or come straight to the middle?

Yes, by all means.

But do you remember how someone held your little finger and taught you to take that first baby step? And once you became confident, how you executed longer and longer jumps without any hassles?

The same analogy holds true here, you can have all the improvisations you want but it always helps to master the basics first.

Now, don’t confuse the plot with the structure.

While plot refers to the small twists and turns that happen as your story moves ahead, the structure is akin to the pillars and the framework that  hold a story  together so that it makes more and more sense.

In a short story, it is important to keep things moving. 

It shouldn’t appear drab or static at any point of time. So, the protagonist is faced with a problem, strives hard to deal with it and finally realizes a truth or two about life. But irrespective of whether he succeeds or fails in his endeavor, he acts and things happen to him continuously. That’s what keeps the narrative flowing.

Like a river.

A river starts as a small stream, on its way it gathers momentum, starts roaring and then it merges into the sea. And throughout its journey, it is absolutely sure of its destination.

Similarly, a story’s direction is laid out in the beginning itself so that the characters and incidents know how their journey would end. Hence, they interact and move accordingly to fulfill the aim that the writer has in mind.

An important point to remember in this context is the building up to the climax.

Climax is the most intense and powerful part of a story.

A story moves steadily towards its climax which has the potential to change its course. And as a river discovers its meaning as it dissolves into the ocean, a story discovers its meaning as it nears the climax.

It exposes the writer’s perception of the world around him and may lead to a revelation that serves to illuminate the reader’s mind.

However, the new age fiction that relies on experimentation, may not offer a climax as an essential ingredient. It may not strive to offer a resolution of the crisis either.

On the other hand, it may leave you with an open ended tale that invites the reader to participate, connect the missing links and make sense of the central theme as per his view point.

However, you may decide to include a denouement which usually comes after the climax wherein all the loose ends are tied up and intricacies explained. This is required so that a reader absorbs the high tension and conflict associated with the climax gradually and arrives at a unified perception of reality.

Although, it is important to have the elements of plot and structure in place before you begin writing a story, let it not appear as a rigid or deliberate attempt on your part. 

A good structure allows your story to have a natural flow and prevents it from appearing flat or uninteresting. So, design your stories in a manner that they draw the reader in and sustain his interest till the very end. And if you intend to deliver a moral, do it implicitly and by way of a suggestion.

A sound structure helps you to achieve all this and much more.