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When I attended a fiction-writing seminar in the early '90s, the writers teaching the course gave us the following formula for constructing a novel or short story. It's sometimes called the "blockbuster formula" because most best-selling novels and hit films follow it. See the movies "Diehard" or "Star Wars," for instance.
It is not the only way of writing fiction, especially experimental and literary fiction. But I found it quite useful in struturing my own stories, even if I didn't always follow it strictly.
Recommended elements for commercial fiction:
1. A character (or characters), identified in some fashion and preferably named.
2. A setting. Requiring enough description for the reader to visualize the characters on a stage of some kind.
3. The main character (or characters) has a problem. The problem can be internal/emotional, external (the bad guys taking hostages in "Diehard"), or both.
4. The character tries to solve the problem; and fails. This failure demonstrates the seriousness of the problem and heightens the tension.
5. Repeat step 4 at least once.
6. A climax: the character makes one last heroic effort to solve the problem, and either succeeds or fails. A story that ends in success is more palatable to most readers and therefore easier to sell. But tragedy is a well-respected fiction form, and more power to you if you can pull it off.
7. The denoument. The wrapping up of the tale, with an affirmation of some sort to the reader. For example, the final scene in "Star Wars" where the king pins medals on the heros and everyone cheers.
As I said, not the only way to write fiction. But it's the best proven method of writing stories that SELL.
Jim
Edited by James (04/04/07 05:15 PM)
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