IF THERE’S JUST one thing that matters to your success as a writer, it’s

story structure. Story structure is what allows authors to create stories

that work every single time. Story structure is what allows you to quickly
diagnose and remedy plot problems.
The fear that story structure is formulaic and difficult couldn’t be farther
from the truth. Story structure changed my life. The moment the
foundational principles of this all-important
technique clicked into place for me was the moment I came of age as a
writer. Now it’s your turn!
If you’ve read Award-winning book Structuring Your Novel, you’ve
already gained a foundation in story theory that will help your writing
shine. In that book, we
talked about why structure is make-or-break territory for every novel,
how to create a strong
three-act structure that will bring your story to life, and how to ensure
your story is built to have
the greatest possible impact on readers.
Now it’s time to take that knowledge to the next level. (And if you haven’t
read
Structuring Your Novel yet, don’t worry—I’m going to give you a crash
course in basic story
structure in the next chapter.)
One of the most exciting things about being a writer is the never-ending
journey of
learning and discovery. Just when you think you’ve reached the end of a
subject like story
structure, you get to experience the exciting revelation that there’s more!
This is exactly how I felt when I moved beyond the basics of the three-act
structure to
discover the five secret techniques of advanced story structure. Why are
they “secret”? Simply
because you don’t see them discussed often—and when you do, they’re
often approached from a
background of misconceptions.
In the following pages, you’re going to learn how to master these five
structural
elements:
● The Inciting Event
● The Key Event
● The Pinch Points
● The Moment of Truth
● The Climactic Moment
By the time we’re done, you’ll know more about story structure than the
vast majority of
aspiring authors will ever know—and you’ll be ready to write an amazing
novel that stands
above the crowd.