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Story Skeleton—Cloud Cuckoo Land
May 26, 2023
There's a certain allure to a novel that intertwines disparate storylines, tying together seemingly unrelated narratives to form a compelling whole.
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Story Skeleton—Sonny’s Blues
May 08, 2023
The climax ultimately addresses the question posed by the inciting incident: can the protagonist truly reconnect with his brother after learning about Sonny's arrest in the newspaper?
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Story Skeleton: Anne of Green Gables
March 08, 2023
Anne of Green Gables offers many episodic threads that come together to deeply characterize herself, her adoptive parents, and many of the other residents of Avonlea. There is one thread, however, that directly connects the inciting incident with the climax: her relationship with Matthew.
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Story Skeleton—The Catcher in the Rye
February 17, 2023
With these tricks of voice, Salinger creates a character who feels like a real person. He captures the nuances of Holden's emotions, making the reader feel his pain, confusion, and alienation.
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Story Skeleton—The Great Gatsby
November 18, 2022
Keep in mind that story structure is more about convincing readers to keep turning pages than it is about how to write a story. Within the dimensions of narrative structure, there are still limitless possibilities.
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Story Skeleton—Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
May 29, 2022
What Oates controls so beautifully in this story is the quality and intensity of escalation.
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Story Skeleton—Stargirl
April 11, 2022
We don’t particularly need subplots or B-stories or great complexity because the character of Stargirl herself is so compelling, so glowingly fresh and well-drawn, we are charmed into turning each page.
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Story Skeleton—The Bear Came Over the Mountain
March 14, 2022
I am sometimes asked if there is a difference in structure between the novel and the short story. There is no difference, in my opinion, except in terms of energy.
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Story Skeleton—Little Women
December 27, 2021
It’s interesting to consider how Alcott may have completed Jo’s arc were she given artistic freedom to write as she pleased.
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Story Skeleton—The Shining
November 02, 2021
Probably the most important (and difficult) part of writing any novel is figuring out what the protagonist’s main goal will be.
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Story Skeleton—The Secret Garden
September 22, 2021
Children’s books can provide a master class in how to tell a complex story in a short space.
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Story Skeleton—Pride & Prejudice
July 30, 2021
Pride and Prejudice hits all the high points of the romance cycle—and is considered by many to be foundational to the genre.
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