For all of you writers out there,
Today I’m tackling part 3 of story structure. Here’s part 1 and part 2. Just to review. You start with a complex character and you give them a goal. The goal should drive the plot.
But don’t confuse the inner journey with the outer journey. You need both, but the inner journey should be more subtle. Nobody likes an “issue story,” but you do want to see your character change in some profound way at the end as well as get (or not get) what they originally wanted. In fact, you might try giving them something else that they never knew they needed. The happy surprise, just like in real life :-)
For example: Character X can have a stuttering problem, but the goal should not simply be to overcome that problem. There should be an external goal, (i.e. the character wants to be class president) which forces the character to face that issue. As Character X battles his opponent, he must also tackle the childhood wound that caused the stuttering to take place. The character not only stops stuttering and wins the election, but also comes out with greater self-esteem which is the real prize.
Bottom line: Your job as a writer might be to show character growth, but readers are here for story. If you can deliver that first, they won’t mind the lesson they learned along the way. In fact, they just might be grateful for it ;-)
