8 - Architecting a story        06/30/09 - Scott

I like to think of building a story the same way a building architect plans a building. All buildings are just a bunch of boxes put together into a bigger box. A kitchen serves the same function regardless of the building. What an architect does is understand what people like in a building and put those things in. There has to be a functional kitchen, but where it is located and how large it is and how people get to it can vary within reasonable limitations.

It's the same in a story. People like plots that aren't predictable, and that comes from realistic character choices that are affected by their environment. They like story elements like mystery, suspense, and love. They like different settings. They like different characters with different motivations. A writer has a large selection of things to work with in a particular environment, the setting, character motivations, and character choices. He can weave a hundred different stories, and make choices that can please people.

Next: Protagonist Character Development

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