Building Your Structure by Deborah Lytton: December Theme

Building structure in a manuscript is a little bit like building a sandcastle. Everyone has a different way of forming the sand into a structure. Some people are meticulous about their method of measuring ocean water to sand in buckets to use as forms. Others create structures using driftwood and shells. And some build the castles with their hands, improvising as they go. In the same way, the craft of plotting and structure differs from writer to writer. I know some writers who write every scene on colored index cards and pin them on bulletin boards so they can see each scene and move their story around by simply re-pinning a card. I know other writers who love Scrivener and the prompts to aid them in thinking through story plot points step-by-step. And then I know writers who don't like to outline plot but to allow the story to unfold itself during the writing process. I fall into the last category. I also build sandcastles with my hands:) For me, the structure is a loose form that encircles the perimeter of my story so that it stays in place but leaves room for movement. That said, I do have one writing book that always sits on the bookshelf next to my desk. I have shared this book before because, well, I love it. It's THE WRITER'S JOURNEY, Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler.

Mr. Vogler has based his book on the Hero's Journey as described in THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES by Joseph Campbell and sets forth a clear understanding of plot and structure as it is revealed in mythology.

  The stages of the Hero's Journey and the archetypes that propel the structure are set forth in diagrams and examples that I have found extremely helpful in my own writing. But like creating a castle out of sand, any method that helps you to get where you are going is the right one. The most important thing is to write it.


Happy Building!