Sharpen Your Writing With Structure
Sharpen Your Writing With Structure
At some point, every serious writer is forced to sit down and conclude that there is something seriously wrong with their work. It wanders; it is pretty in some spots and horribly ugly in others. It doesn't always make sense, and is uneven in places. Even though every sentence is grammatically correct, there is something fundamentally broken about the piece.It lacks structure.Structure is what holds a good piece of writing together, the material reflection of the reader's psychological need for order. It is the quality that makes the best writing appear seamless, conjured whole from heaven itself. Structure is the logical mind's contribution to a creative process, and a primary difference between professional writing and amateur scribbling: a conscious decision and a learned skill.Being in many ways the very essence of writing, structure isn't mastered overnight. But here are a few rules of thumb that can help you improve the organizational readability of your work:Establish a logical order to your presentation.Ignore all the popular advice to "write like you talk"; that's a misguided appeal to conversational tone usage and a shortsighted encouragement for people who are terrified to put pen to page. In order to master structure, you must learn to write deliberately and with forethought. Plan what you're going to write and how you're going to write it: don't make it up as you go along, particularly when you are writing nonfiction of any kind.In nonfiction writing (which means anything that isn't fiction), the room for art is small. Don't set out to create art - build a sturdy framework, as a skilled attorney would build a legal argument. Make your supporting points early and establish the logical flow to consequences and conclusions. Don't loop back and make points at word 800 that you should have made at word five.Make your points quickly - write in 300-word chunks.That's the magic number: 300. Books are typically printed with about 300 words to a page; magazine articles will usually be structured into roughly 300-word segments. An effective press release, page of website copy or newsletter article won't run much above 300 words. Any longer and your reader will notice that something is off about your piece. Too much longer and your reader will get bored. For some reason, the human mind seems to be most comfortable reading at the 300-word length.That does not mean that everything you write must be short, only that long pieces should be built out of short pieces put in order. If you can't make your point in 300 words or less, then you are trying to make more than one point. Simplify the whole piece: break the manuscript down into single-point segments no longer than 300 words in length, and then put your points into a logical order that builds towards your final conclusions. The final product will seem to flow with a gentle rhythm that your readers might notice, probably won't be able to identify, and so will most likely attribute it to your talents.Try it: you'll be amazed.Take the entire piece down to a single thought, expressed in a single sentence, and then rebuild it from the ground up.When in doubt, strip the piece down and rebuild it from its primary components. The greatest threat to structure is diffusion; rather than trying to communicate one thing well, you end up saying lots of things badly. Good structure requires that you have a very clear idea of what you are writing, how you are doing it and why. Do one thing, and do it very well.Set the piece aside and attempt to make your final point in a single sentence, losing as little important detail as possible. Do not use compound sentences; keep it simple and limit it to a single direct thought. If you can't do it, then you do not have a clear enough idea of what it is that you're trying to accomplish - reorganize the piece or split it into several separate ones.An English sentence has a natural internal structure all its own. Look at your one-sentence summary and use its structure to inform yourself on how the overall piece should be structured. Once you've reduced your writing to its bare essence, you can reconstruct it on a much more solid foundation.In the end, professional writing is all about understanding the psychological needs of the reader. If you are writing purely for your own pleasure, with no intention of ever letting anyone else read it (and what a boring life that would be), then it doesn't matter because you're not really writing: you're keeping a diary.But if instead you want your writing to be appreciated by readers, structure is one concept that you can't live without.About The AuthorRobert Warren (www.rswarren.com) is a Florida-based freelance copywriter specializing in the unique marketing needs of independent professionals.writer@rswarren.com
Story and Screenplay Structure
Story and Screenplay Structure
Structure is beneficial to creative output in a number of ways. There are at least two types of structure, work processes and frameworks:a) Work processes such as incremental production produce more output than a "do your best" approach. Writing four pages a day completes a words-on-paper first draft screenplay in one month. A "do your best" or "waiting for inspiration" approach can take months or years.b) Work processes such as separating creative from critical thinking allow the build up of large idea pools using creative thinking and the reduction of those pools into feasible ideas using critical thinking.c) Frameworks reduce complex problems into their component intellectual parts. For example, story structure can be reduced to three or four acts or The Hero With A Thousand Faces (Campbell, 1973). Frameworks increase output by reducing complex problems into smaller, more manageable problem solving exercises. In screenwriting, frameworks tell the writer where to start, where to finish, what to write and what should be happening at a particular stage of the story.Additionally, a structured approach improves performance in a number of ways, including:a) Simply being prolific improves performance. The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when creator is being most prolific. Experience refines knowledge and methodology towards optimal levels.b) Engagement in the tasks results in problem identification and triggers the mind into working on those problems at various cognitive levels. Problems incubate until answers become apparent. Increasing the incidence and frequency of problem identification increases the incidence and frequency of insight. In other words, simply engaging in the project generates good ideas, insights and inspiration, which is why screenwriters often find that their best ideas come to them when they are in the middle of writing a screenplay.c) Increased problem identification (coupled with motivation) increases the incidence of solution seeking, through active search for stimuli and intellectual cross pollination through networks and collaboration.A range of Screenplay and Story Structure Templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.Kal Bishop, MBA**********************************You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/
Story Structure ? Classic Hero?s Journey – Book-Reviews
Story Structure ? Classic Hero?s Journey
The Classical Hero's Journey is one of the most detailed story structures containing 106 sequences overall and 32 in Act III alone.A descendant of Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces and containing references to all the normal and less usual Archetypes: Peer Brothers, the Failed Hero and more, it allows the screen or story writer to quickly map out a step outline, template or first draft screenplay.The Classical Hero's Journey follows the universal story pattern ("there is in reality only one story"); the first ten sequences are very briefly summarised here:1. An overview of the environment and context the story will take place in. Usually shots of the city, events, people interactions, events, narrative or some combination of above or similar. Sometimes an explanation is in order depending on the complexity involved.2. Antagonist captures Princess. Princess sends Heralds to find rescuer ? someone with a reputation and history of success against the antagonist; someone who may be able to assist in some way or similar. Often an Old Knight. If Heralds are more than one, they may conflict in some way. Establish evil nature of antagonist. Establish good nature of Princess. Herald(s) may be forced into the journey. Antagonist's lieutenants may, through a mistake, lack of intelligence, some sort of deception or similar allow the Herald(s) to escape. Antagonist chases Herald's in the belief (may be mistaken) that they Herald's are dangerous, are important people, have something important in their possession, cannot let word of the Princess' capture get out or similar.3. The Herald(s) journey is full of difficulties. If the Herald's are more than one, they may be separated for some reason. Some may die before finding help.4. Antagonist's lieutenants are hot on the heels of the Herald(s).5. If Herald's are separated, they are united. Else they approach the place where help may be at hand and the story reverts to being that of the Hero and not theirs.6. The Hero is introduced. Along with the Interdictor, Hawks, Doves and perhaps others. The interaction between the characters illustrates their roles.7. Heralds are not recognised by the Hero. It may be by pure chance that the Hero and Heralds meet. Others may have an interest in blocking the meeting.8. Hero and Heralds interact in a safe, quiet place. Usually a place where the Hero feels comfortable. Herald's inform the Hero of their backstory, the World of the Ordeal. There are references to a Mentor. The Heralds present the Hero with a Call to Adventure.9. The Interdictor presents an interdiction that prevents the Hero from embarking on the adventure. The interdictive nature of the Interdictor is expanded upon. There are references to the Peer Brother - that the Interdictor is preventing the Hero from growing to the level of the Peer Brother. References to the Hero's mysterious birth, his lack of knowledge of his parenthood and descendents. References to the Mentor. Hawks, Doves and Interdictor may debate the pros and cons of issuing the Interdiction. The secret desire of the Hero to embark on the adventure is illustrated.10. Through some outside event, the Hero is forced into the adventure. He leaves in the dead of night, aware that he is violating the interdiction and aware of the danger. The danger of breaking the interdiction is expanded.The Classical Hero's Journey Story and Screenplay Structure can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com.You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.Kal Bishop, MBA**********************************You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com