Structure of a story

[lauraangel]

Hello everyone. I am new here and this will be only my second post - I hope this is the right subsection.

I discovered this site quite recently and found myself in love with the stories. It gave me the idea of trying my hand at writing my own, however I have never written any kind of fiction before. I'm curious what the general writing process is for people here in terms of how you go about it - do you just fly straight in, or do you recommend starting out with an outline/structure? I may be overthinking it just a tad!

 

[OneAuthor]

Unless you are writing a very short story, I'd recommend creating an outline first. I even did that for my most recent story, which was approximately 2000 words. It helps you think through the plot and characters, and will hopefully prevent you from having contradictions or out-of-character scenarios within the story.

Good luck!

 

[lauraangel]

Unless you are writing a very short story, I'd recommend creating an outline first. I even did that for my most recent story, which was approximately 2000 words. It helps you think through the plot and characters, and will hopefully prevent you from having contradictions or out-of-character scenarios within the story.

Good luck!

Thank you! Is the story you speak of the one in your signature? I'll check it out

Yes, good point about contradictions - that seems like the kind of thing that could put off from continuing the story and killing my enthusiasm about it.

 

[Omenainen]

I think it’s a matter of personal preference. I don’t plan anything. I’ve got some idea, some kind of a starting point, and then I just write it out to see what happens. I believe this approach wouldn’t work for more complicated plots or multi part complex stories or such. I suggest you just write something and see how it goes. Good luck and welcome aboard!

 

[NotWise]

I've never outlined a complete story of any length.

I get the characters and the plot fixed in my head, and I start writing. I always think ahead of where I'm writing so that I know my direction. Sometimes I'll make notes at the end of the story about where I'm going and delete them when I get there. If a scene gets complicated then I'll outline just the one scene to make sure I understand the parts.

 

[Privates1stClass]

I discovered this site quite recently and found myself in love with the stories. It gave me the idea of trying my hand at writing my own, however I have never written any kind of fiction before. I'm curious what the general writing process is for people here in terms of how you go about it - do you just fly straight in, or do you recommend starting out with an outline/structure? I may be overthinking it just a tad!

In addition to what OneAuthor mentioned, I'd suggest you find an editor to proofread/assist with your story. A second set of eyes can help find errors that you miss. I've found that an editor is a valuable asset before submitting my story.

 

[UsuallyPresent]

For shorter stories, I've both plotted and just broke down and started typing. Both approaches have had success and failure. Longer pieces, however, reward taking the time to outline, define, plot and plan. It's easy to 'paint yourself into a corner' in longer pieces if you're not careful, and having solid ideas on where it's going, as well as how, who's where, what's going on, etc - those all assist with that, plus keeping consistency to make everything easier on the reader.

IMO. YMMV.

 

[OldHideki]

I first have to come up with my ‘gadget’, or quirk, that is the basis of the story. It usually changes the main character’s perception of reality.

For instance, in Loving Wives, the husband pushes his wife to have a three way with another woman, not knowing his wife is a closet lesbian, who married him to satisfy her parents.

Or, catching COVID-19 causes a change in the main character’s DNA, resulting in changes in their XYZ. It could be mental, physical, or something imperceptible such as a change in their pheromone output.

A life event, that burned a behavior into the main character, which causes them to make a discovery.

Waking up to a memorable date in the past, such as the date that a condom failed to provide protection, the day the main character lost their virginity, etc...

I have wanted to do a dream sequence using the time travel idea myself, where the main character go back to his ultimate date that turned into a complete failure, only to figure out that this was the best thing that could have happened to them (pregnancy, dropping out of college, adultery, failed marriage).

From that a general outline is made, and I start writing the background for the story. I usually start fleshing out the characters, to decide how I expect Them to behave.

Usually, the writing flows fairly well from there. I do hit writer’s block, when I have issues staging a scene. I hit one in the current story that I am writing, but have figured out that it was because I didn’t flesh out two minor characters properly.

 

[HeyYoureThatGuy]

Everyone's process is different, but the one that has worked for me is:

1) The first draft is a quick-moving, barely focused stream of consciousness dash from beginning to end.
2) Reverse engineer a rough outline from that.
3) From the outline, I break it down into key scenes and start a more focused 2nd draft process.

From there it varies depending on length of story, but I never treat the outline as a noose. If I'm going forward and something doesn't work or there's a shift, then I just go with it and edit my outline accordingly. It also allows me to jump around and write my scenes in whatever order inspiration strikes me. It's worked out so far for me.

I've got only one story up on here, but plenty of other fiction stuff I've done and several D&D campaigns that I used the same process for and it works for me.

I hope you find a method that works for you.

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

You're getting many different answers to this and you'll get many more. I think everyone would agree that all the answers are correct. It depends on how you think. There are benefits and drawbacks to them all, but the most important thing is what gets you writing.

Outlines provide structure. They keep you from getting lost. They can also be limiting it you adhere to them too closely, so if you use this method, you can ameliorate the drawbacks by making sure you stay flexible. If the story starts taking you another way, don't be afraid to follow it. You can revise your outline or skip the outline.

Some people write in a way that I think of as doodling. They draw a little verbal free-form sketch, and then start drawing the design outward from that sketch, building the world around it and thinking of what might happen in that world. It can be easy to forget you need an actual story line/plot using that method, so what you can do is sketch out your story that way, and then superimpose a structure over it later. Think of it like growing a vine and then helping the vine grow up a trellis. The trellis is your formal structure.

Some people start with characters. Once you've fully realized your character - and I mean fully realized, like you know what kind of dessert they like, whether they prefer baths or showers, how they exercise, and whether they believe in love at first sight - you can put that character in any setting, or in any activity, and you'll know what your character is going to do. It's easy to put two characters like that together and know how they'll interact under whatever circumstances you choose to impose. If you use this method, you can become too in love with your characters and provide too much minutia. It's also easy to write yourself into a corner when you have an idea for what you want your character to do, but the character you've created doesn't want to do it. That can be helped by being flexible with your plot and by being willing to throw a crisis or other perspective-altering event at your characters to get them to change naturally.

Some people start with the plot. This lends itself to outlining, but doesn't have to go that direction. You can outline the events of the plot without including anything specific to the characters. The advantage of starting with the plot is that you can make sure you have a workable structure before you add a lot of detail, and you'll have targets to hit along the way. Plot-based writing can come at the expense of character development if you aren't careful, but it doesn't have to. Having the plot evolve before the characters can also result in characters more interested in doing their own thing rather than playing along with your plot. If you get characters that fully realized, use them and make a new plot. Save the old plot for another story with more cooperative characters.

Some people start with a scene. Maybe there's an image in their head that really made an impression, or maybe there's some concept they want to explore. As they flesh out the scene, they start creating branches, and the branches are what the rest of the story is built on. It's possible to create a scene that's so complete that it doesn't need any story around it, and it could end up being too short for Lit's submission guidelines (750 word minimum), or it could not really be a story, so much as it is a sketch. There's nothing wrong with a sketch, but readers may not respond well if they are expecting a story. You can offset this by trying to think about characters' future actions while you are writing the scene.

Some people start with a theme or even a single word. It's probably not a good technique until you're comfortable, but it's a lot of fun. Imagine your theme was "waterfall." That could lead you in many directions. Your story might be about a nymph who lives at the foot of a the waterfall, or it could be about a tryst in the cave behind the waterfall, or it could be about a sprite or a young woman laying back on a rock beneath the waterfall to let the water wash over her in all sorts of naughty ways. The author could reinforce the theme of the waterfall with imagery, sounds, and even maybe even a recurring sentence structure like a refrain. The downsides are obvious, but you can use this to get your concept and combine it with a more structured method.

This doesn't even scratch the surface of the methods people use successfully. I think most people use a hybrid of lots of techniques, and even different techniques for different stories. Personally, I think the most important thing is to write in whatever way keeps your ideas flowing best. There are always ways to fix whatever problems arise as a result of your method.

 

[Emirus]

Know where you are going

You have the idea for the story and you know the main character(s) you are going to write about. The next important thing is you must have an idea of the ending for the story. Say it’s a boy meets girl. Do they end up getting married? Do they go their own separate ways? Does she shoot him because he doesn’t like her dress? The last one isn’t a serious suggestion, naturally. Introduce other characters, if need be, as you go along. You can always delete them.

You don’t have to have the ending written before you begin, although some writers do, but you need to have some idea. Then you start writing. Don’t be afraid, if you’ve written a passage you then decide is unsuitable, to delete it. But keep it on file because it might be suitable for a future story.

About 6000 words would do for your first story (unless it naturally flows longer) which is a little less than two Lit pages. One Lit page is about 3750 but a story of one page tends to not do well. But the story does want to be as long as you think is right.

Write what you want to write not what you think other people might want you to write. Also take in all the different advice you’re going to be given and then use what you think applies to you. Some of it will probably be contradictory.

When you’ve finished the story read it. Make any adjustments. Then read it again a couple of days later and pick up the errors you didn’t see the first time. Read dialogue aloud and you’ll realise whether or not it sounds natural. Then submit. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[Ginlover]

Everything Enchantment_of_Nyx said you try something if that method works for you, bingo if not try a different one. I wrote a 4 novel series of over 400k words and have never plotted or planned in writing. My characters developed then wrote the story for me.

Another time I've had a scene in my head. I've written it down then produced the plot around it.

Mostly I have an idea. What if those two people had sex? What is she was a dominant personality but wants to submit to her partner? How do people use sex to manage life stresses? And the story writes itself but that's how my mind works.

 

[SimonDoom]

There's no one right way to write a story. Authors here roughly break down into "plotsters" and "pantsters", the forming being those who like to outline their stories first, and the latter being those who like to start writing without plotting.

I like to plot. I start with a story idea that focuses on something erotic happening. I come up with the characters and a little background. I write these things down on a summary sheet. If the story is long enough I will write a short outline of the story's main acts. Then when I'm done I'll usually do a numbered outline of the main points of the story. That outline may consist of 80 or so numbered points. Then I write. Most of the time, when I write I end up deviating from my outline. The outline is a useful starting point, but it doesn't control what I write.

You don't have to do it this way, but I would recommend at least trying to answer the following questions before you start actually writing:

1. What's the point of your story? What is its primary focus? What is its erotic focus?
2. What is the conflict in the story? A conflict exists when somebody wants something, or must do something, but an obstacle exists. The story presents a conflict, and then resolves it somehow.
3. Who are the main characters, and what is each main character's unmet/unfulfilled need?
4. In a general way, how do you see the story resolving?

Example:
I want to write a story about a middle aged woman who gets the hots for the son of a couple that lives next door.

The story will be about how she successfully seduces him.

What are the obstacles?
He's 20 and she's 40 and she's worried he'll think she's too old.
Seducing him would be scandalous.
The parents wouldn't approve.
Her family wouldn't approve. Her son is friends with the young man next door.
The young man is hot but he's rather clueless, so she has to figure out a subtle way of winning him over.

Her unmet need: She's a bored, horny middle-aged woman who wants to spice up her life and she's smitten by this young man, and she's decided that she MUST have him.

The young man's unmet need: He's sensitive and inexperienced. He wants sex but he doesn't know how to articulate or fulfill his needs. He needs an older woman to teach him.

When they finally get together, each will have their unmet need finally fulfilled. You have drama, and you have resolution.

Then you go from there.

You don't have to do it this way, of course. In the novels of Larry McMurtry, who wrote Lonesome Dove, every character has some desperate unmet need, and the poignancy and power of the novels is in the fact that the needs are never met. Everybody ends up unfulfilled. I don't think this is a great formula, however, for erotica.

 

[sirhugs]

If it is a one scene story, there is not much point to doing a formal outline.

The structure is simple- beginning, middle end.

The middle is the part with the sex.

The beginning gets you to the sex.

The end is what happens after the sex.

You start out knowing your beginning, and have an idea what the ending might be, but often , the sex takes a turn that suggests an ending that fits better.

Most of my stories now are longer, so I tend to have an idea going in who my character are, what each sex scene might include. As the narrative unfolds, that often changes. Ella the Cat Burglar, my longest recent story, started life intended to be a single scene of Daddy/daughter incest. It took on a life of its own.

On the other hand, Happily Humping Hortense went from something much more involved, with a longer beginning, down to a single encounter that contains several sex scenes. I did not outline that- I put my characters in the scenario and let them go at it. Essentially a single scene, just smuttier.

Experience helps. My first story I had plotted out in detail in my brain before wrote a word.

Experiment and find what works for you.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Hello everyone. I am new here and this will be only my second post - I hope this is the right subsection.

I discovered this site quite recently and found myself in love with the stories. It gave me the idea of trying my hand at writing my own, however I have never written any kind of fiction before. I'm curious what the general writing process is for people here in terms of how you go about it - do you just fly straight in, or do you recommend starting out with an outline/structure? I may be overthinking it just a tad!

First of all, welcome! I hope you find writing as satisfying as most of us.

As noted, everybody has their own method, their own way. I think the only people who will insist on following set method are community college Creative Writing professors, few of whom it must be noted have ever sold a bestseller. So go with whatever feels good for you. And remember, the only effective way to learn to write is the same way the cat learned to swim.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Hello everyone. I am new here and this will be only my second post - I hope this is the right subsection.

I discovered this site quite recently and found myself in love with the stories. It gave me the idea of trying my hand at writing my own, however I have never written any kind of fiction before. I'm curious what the general writing process is for people here in terms of how you go about it - do you just fly straight in, or do you recommend starting out with an outline/structure? I may be overthinking it just a tad!

The way I've done it seems to change over time. I used to write outlines but now I rely more on my own memory. However, outlines may helpful if you are just starting out.

There are differences depending on whether you are planning a stand-alone story or a series. Sometimes a single story will result in unexpected sequels, so it turns into a series. A true series may have pitfalls in that it may be hard to come with an ending or climax.

I sometimes write from start of finish, but sometimes I skip over difficult parts (even the opening) and get back to them later. So far that technique has worked better than one might expect.

 

[KeithD]

I don't outline in fiction (I always outline with nonfiction), with the exception that, with a full-length novel, I'll usually make notes of the key action points in the first seven chapters or so, often after writing the first chapter. For short stories I'll do no more than a list of personal and place names to maintain spelling. The joy in the writing is discovering where it goes as I'm writing it. That doesn't mean that there isn't a better idea of that formed in the back of my mind.

The elements of the story that build enough for me to write it are in my mind. The structure--or at least some of it--is established there before I start writing. I maintain a "to do" list by title, pen name, and target anthology, if any, so that if an idea for a story starts forming while I'm writing another one--which is often the case--I have a placeholder to jog my memory about the next story.

 

[Brutal_One]

Make a start

I think the other writers have elaborated in detail more eloquently than I would be able to. I would use the KISS principal (keep it simple stupid). So beginning, middle, end. The story will have characters so start there with a description but more importantly thoughts and feelings. What drives them and what fears, emotions and insecurities they have. This gets you writing. What does this character want and need ? And from whom? This may give you the ideas for the plot. But in the writing get used to thinking and listening to your characters. To end the journey your story starts telling may evolve but just let it. Then it’s written and finished, the first draft anyway.

The rest of the detailed responses here will help you but the main thing is to make a start. The blank page is a wonderful thing. Go fill it.

Brutal One

 

[KeithD]

As basic as it gets in terms of classical short story structure: Dilemma/conflict/resolution.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

First of all, welcome! I hope you find writing as satisfying as most of us.

As noted, everybody has their own method, their own way. I think the only people who will insist on following set method are community college Creative Writing professors, few of whom it must be noted have ever sold a bestseller. So go with whatever feels good for you. And remember, the only effective way to learn to write is the same way the cat learned to swim.

Edit: Damn autocorrect! That’s ‘community college’, not ‘communist college’. Arggggh!s

 

[NotWise]

Edit: Damn autocorrect! That’s ‘community college’, not ‘communist college’. Arggggh!s

Hey! I liked the original.

 

[Enchantment_of_Nyx]

Edit: Damn autocorrect! That’s ‘community college’, not ‘communist college’. Arggggh!s

I wasn't saying anything, but I had questions!

I wouldn't be so hard on the community college professors, either, though. It's true that there are some horrendous ones, but I'm sure there are plenty who are quite good. I was surprised to learn that some community college professors do it as a second job, so in those cases, students might be benefiting from instruction from someone who has contemporary real-world experience in addition to education. That's something that's hard to come by outside of community colleges.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Hey! I liked the original.

Yeah, I thought it was deliberate!

A while ago somebody told me to look at creative writing programs. I checked their sites - mostly not at community colleges.

Well, I can't afford them anyway. But, there seems to be a the problem of these students (and their professor) being the only ones reading each other's stuff. Does that lead to envy? Or are they careful about not stepping on toes? Maybe it's both, a sort of passive-aggressive situation.

Maybe it's better to throw it online and see what the great masses (many of them anonymous) think of it. If they don't like it, they won't be shy about telling you about it. But if you can wow them, you might be on to something.

 

[ElectricBlue]

You don’t have to have the ending written before you begin, although some writers do, but you need to have some idea.

I don't think you "need" to have an idea of your ending before you start. I don't think there's a single story of mine where I "knew" the ending before I started writing. I knew when I got to it, or maybe saw it half-way through writing, but right at the beginning, before word one? Never.

For the OP, my one piece of advice is to start small, do your apprenticeship with maybe ten or twelve short pieces, two characters, simple ideas. That way you'll learn the technical stuff, grammar, punctuation, how to edit. But more importantly, you'll find your voice, your style, what suits you best. Once you have that down, that's when to get more ambitious. Save the novel until later. Unless you're MelissaBaby or BrokenSpokes, who wrote huge long things first. But they're unusual, doing that.

Also, don't sweat those first ones. Sure, they'll have flaws, but we all have first stories. It's the later ones that turn you into a writer.

 

[Emirus]

I don't think you "need" to have an idea of your ending before you start. I don't think there's a single story of mine where I "knew" the ending before I started writing.

Perhaps I should have been more precise. Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy and girl get together again. They get married. You know they are going to get married before you’ve written a word which is different to already having the scene in your mind or written. You’ve got to have some idea of your destination otherwise you’re going to find it more difficult to get there than it would otherwise have been. I’ve just written a story and knew when I began the boy and girl were going to get married but that was all I had in my mind. Everyone to their own. Sad world if we were all the same.