Thursday Review—Story Trumps Structure—A Writing Book for Everyone

by Lynn H. Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn

If you’ve been writing for any length of time, you’ve probably been asked the ever popular question, “What kind of writer are you?” What they want to know is are you an outliner or a pantster. Do you plan every scene in advance, or do you write organically and discover what happens along with your characters?
If you’re an outliner, you can find a plethora of books that will help you on your journey.
If you’re an organic writer? Not so much.
If you aren’t sure, join the club.
Regardless of how you do it, if you write fiction, Story Trumps Structure by Steven James is a worthy addition to your writing library.
In the first half of the book, he explains the essence of story and why he believes organic writing is the best way to uncover the story. He discusses the “fiction of three acts” and the eight components that must be present at the beginning of a story. He shares his secrets to organic writing and includes several Q&As.
If you’re a diehard outliner, you may be thinking that this book isn’t for you. Don’t be so sure.
The last half of Story Trumps Structure was one of the most interesting and enlightening explanations of what it takes to write quality fiction I have ever read.
Regardless of how you approach your writing, the sections on Story Progression, The Narrative Forces that Shape Our Stories, The Subtleties of Characterization, and Plot Holes and How to Fix Them will strengthen your stories. There’s even a handy chart to help you troubleshoot problems you find in your plot and gives tips for how to fix them.
So how about you? Are you an outliner? An organic writer? Not sure?
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
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Lynn Huggins Blackburn has been telling herself stories since she was five and finally started writing them down. She blogs about faith, family, and her writing journey on her blog Out of the Boat. Lynn is a member of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and the Word Weavers, Greenville. She lives in South Carolina where she hangs out with three lively children, one fabulous man, and a cast of imaginary characters who find their way onto the pages of her still unpublished novels. She drinks a lot of coffee.