The Anatomy of Story Structure

M.L. Bull
5 days ago
2 min read

If writers really think about it, story structure can be similar to the functionality and foundation of different systems of the human body. There are four specific components of the anatomy of story structure that together make up the DNA of a cohesive, well-organized story. These four components include goals, characters, plot or story arcs, and scenes. Let's go over each of these and using the analogy of the human body examine their importance in the formation of solid story structure in books. 🔍

WATCH THE EPISODE

Check out episode 19 of season 2 of my Journey of a Christian Writer series, The Anatomy of Story Structure + Prequel Cover Reveal or continue reading the blog post below.

THE ANATOMY OF STORY STRUCTURE

A female doctor looking over CAT scan x-rays.

Story structure is the literary plan and framework of short stories or novels. Without it, stories may be incomplete or have plot holes or disconnected scenes that leave readers questioning the meaning and narrative of stories. This is why whether writers outline or not, it's crucial their stories have some kind of organized layout. Now, let's go over goals, characters, plot or story arcs, and scenes, and how they play into the formation of story structure.

GOALS

Goals act as the muscles of story structure as they give stories a strong purpose and the stamina for your characters' motivations. They also allow characters to have something they have to work toward and strive to accomplish when going against conflict, tension, and other difficult challenges in the storyline.

CHARACTERS

Characters act as the organs of story structure because they help keep the flow of stories pumping as the heart pumps blood and other organs operate throughout the human body. Hence, characters "bring the life" to our stories. They breathe significance and essence into the storylines of novels or short stories, allowing readers to have someone they can relate to, connect with, empathize with, or root for in the story.

PLOT or STORY ARCS

Plot or story arcs acts as the nervous system of story structure, as the storyline affects how characters act and react when faced with conflict or complications in the story. It's also what determines which characters do and don't be included in the story.

SCENES

Scenes acts as the skeleton system of story structure because they are the building blocks that make an organized structure within stories. They also help establish character actions, their reactions, and their interactions with other characters in the story.

CLOSING REMARKS:

By using the analogy of some of the main the human body systems, you can clearly see the importance and vitality of goals, characters, plot or story arcs, and scenes. When working on and constructing your own stories, be sure to include them all to avoid plot holes and build solid story structure your readers will respect. For more writing videos or tutorials, subscribe to my writing channel Journey of a Christian Writer series. All right, that's it for this post. If you found it helpful, please, give it a (heart❤️), take part in the poll 🤔, and share your thoughts or comments 💬 below.)

Happy Writing! 😊✍🏽💻

🤔Hey, writers, did you find the analogy of the human body helpful for story structure?