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Blogs by Richard French
Fiction and Structure 11/12/2014 6:42:30 AM
From a writer's viewpoint, every work offers a basic challenge: how to present his or her interests and predilections in a way that will appeal to readers she or he doesn't know -- the public at large. The question of structure comes up at this point -- how a story is organized. What is its skeleton? Here are some things I've thought about:
•The best order to present information. This can be tricky, especially if you've done a lot of background research and have a stack of notes. I put in too much in early drafts and then prune. Something like a sculptor shaping a piece of stone.
•Many editors nowadays look for snappy beginnings to capture the reader's attention. This can work well, but this practice can be limiting and lead to falseness, which will deceive readers who won't realize the story is contrived and tedious until they're about fifty pages in. I prefer a work that grows naturally, like a tree.
•Pacing -- fast and slow. Variety. The main characters and themes come in near the start and then I work on them. A high point comes near the middle and then the story builds to a satisfying conclusion.
•Editors also have an eye out for sagging middles. This make sense to me. Keep up the pace.
•I try to avoid anti-climax.
•The challenge of holding a reader's attention always comes up, especially in a long work. This is where suspense, opposition, tension, come in. Readers will fade away if they encounter a steady and predictable line of successes, but they'll turn the page if there's a possibility of failure. Small setback overcome. What stands in the character's way.
•Myself, I don't care for rigid, stereotyped structures (unless I'm reading a mystery story). I like a work that breathes and grows and comes across with grace. Sincerity counts, too.
Getting the structure to work in a way that pleases the writer should give him or her the confidence to put a work in the hands of readers. A good structure doesn't always come first thing. Sometimes you have to live with a piece before the right way becomes clear.
