by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn
In
the first half of the book, he explains the essence of story and why he
believes organic writing is the best way to uncover the story. He discusses the
“fiction of three
acts” and the eight components that must be present at the beginning of a
story. He shares his secrets to organic writing and includes several Q&As.
If
you’ve been writing for
any length of time, you’ve probably been asked the ever popular question, “What
kind of writer are you?” What they want to know is are you an outliner or a
pantster. Do you plan every scene in advance, or do you write organically and
discover what happens along with your characters?
If
you’re an outliner, you
can find a plethora of books that will help you on your journey.
If you’re
an organic writer? Not so much.
If
you aren’t sure, join the
club.
Regardless of how you do it, if
you write fiction, Story Trumps Structure by Steven James is a worthy addition to your
writing library.
In
the first half of the book, he explains the essence of story and why he
believes organic writing is the best way to uncover the story. He discusses the
“fiction of three
acts” and the eight components that must be present at the beginning of a
story. He shares his secrets to organic writing and includes several Q&As.
If
you’re a diehard outliner,
you may be thinking that this book isn’t for you. Don’t be so sure.
The last half of Story Trumps Structure was one of the most interesting
and enlightening explanations of what it takes to write quality fiction I have
ever read.
Regardless
of how you approach your writing, the sections on Story Progression, The
Narrative Forces that Shape Our Stories, The Subtleties of Characterization,
and Plot Holes and How to Fix Them will strengthen your stories. There’s even a handy chart to help you
troubleshoot problems you find in your plot and gives tips for how to fix them.
So
how about you? Are you an outliner? An organic writer? Not sure?
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
TWEETABLES
Lynn Huggins Blackburn has been telling herself stories since she was five and finally started writing them down. She blogs about faith, family, and her writing journey on her blog Out of the Boat. Lynn is a member of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and the Word Weavers, Greenville. She lives in South Carolina where she hangs out with three lively children, one fabulous man, and a cast of imaginary characters who find their way onto the pages of her still unpublished novels. She drinks a lot of coffee.
I'm a Planster - which is in between Plotter and Pantster. I'll have to get a copy of his book to see what he has to say, especially since he writes plot-driven fiction. The thing is, he writes bestselling fiction, so he's worth listening to. Thanks!
ReplyDelete:-) I think of myself as a Planster, too! And I agree...anyone who writes the way he does is definitely worth learning from. His books keep me flipping pages way past my bedtime!
DeleteFunny this. I'm a panster, and yes that questtion has come up. In a 'course' I was taking lately the question was to give a scene that included such and such an element, and explain why I put that there. When you're a 'panster' you put stuff where it goes because that's what happens next. Duh. It just happened that way. LOL I'll have to look up that book, it sounds like one to add to my library. Thanks for the tip, Lynn.
ReplyDeleteThen you will LOVE this! One of his key points is that you write what logically happens next in the story. He feels like people who outline are too likely to put what they've already decided should happen next, even if it's not the best choice. Happy writing!
DeleteThis sounds like a great book, Lynn, and I need it for my current project! And of course, I LOVE Steven James! Thanks...
ReplyDeleteI'm just now brainstorming my next novel, so I'm digging back through my copy a 2nd time, highlighter and post-it note flags at the ready. :-) There's so much good stuff in here, and he uses examples from his books, which made me love it even more!
DeleteLike you and Ane, I'm a planster, but I'm always surprised at the how my characters can wreck my outline by their actions. I bought this book at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference but haven't read it yet. Thanks for the post - I'm going to get started reading today!
ReplyDeleteI just purchased this book based on your article. As a SOTP author, there's little to support my type of writing.
ReplyDeleteSOTP might be a misnomer for me. I'd say I'm more of a pray-antser. I get stuck. I pray. He answers. Maybe I should write an article/book on that subject. :)
The idea of an outline makes me cringe (always has). I'm a panster all the way. However, I do write out a few notes on whatever is within my reach. That means I have many note pads and small journals with scribbling on them that only I can decipher--if I can actually find the right note pad with the notes I'm searching for. My random chaos actually works for me, and I'd love to discuss this with my former school teachers who all tried to force the outline process on me. Add my strong southern accent filled with slang, and I'm amazed at the end result of my own novels. They seem so polished, yet that is not my speaking or writing process :)
ReplyDelete