Anatomy of a Story
Formats of a Story
| Format | Word count |
|---|---|
| Novel | 55,000 to 250,000 words (or longer) |
| Novella | 11,000 to 55,000 words |
| Novelette | 7,500 and 19,000 words |
| Short story | 1,500 to 10,000 words |
| Flash fiction | 1,000 to 2,000 words |
| Micro fiction | 30 to 500 words |
Elements of a Story
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Characterization | Methods to make characters seem real. |
| Point of View | Approaches to portray characters: - first person ("I") - second person ("you") - third person ("she") - limited omniscient - omniscient |
| Setting | Physical environment in which the story takes place, see Worldbuilding. |
| Events / Situations | What actually happens in the story (the plot), often expressed through scenes. |
| Dialogue | Conversations and snippets that distinguishes a scene from a summary. Dialogues can be used to: - help dramatize a scene - convey moods - reveal character traits - move the plot forward - foreshadow - create / reflect on conflicts - create understanding |
| Description | The details that "set the scene", create tone, provide exposition and relate needed information to the reader by telling instead of showing. The combination of description and dialogue make a scene seem real. |
| Style | The way a story is told (patterns of words, phrases and sentences) to achieve certain effects. - Minimal / Stark: minimal details and descriptions - Invisible / Normal: balance of scene to summary with few long sentences - Muscular / Conspicious: balance of half-scene to summary with complex sentence structures - Lush / Ornate: word play, extended metaphors, long sentences and long descriptions |
Tip
Dialogue tags like "he said excidedly" or "X exclaimed" are not necessary in most cases and can interfere with the reader's enjoyment of the text.
Sometimes, sections of a dialogue are better coneyed through summaries.
Note
What makes a good description:
- incorporate specific and significant details
- use all 5 senses to enrich the impact of a description
- describe people, settings and things in a logical progression
- when describing the actions of a character, do not separate body from mind (example: "She turned her eyes to the window and saw the bird" is not as accurate as "She looked out the window and saw the bird.")
- use figurative language (comparrisons and metaphors) appropriately, i.e. for significant actions, not for mundane stuff
Plot Devices
Plot devices usually create false drama or make things too easy, so try to avoid using them!
| Plot Device | Description |
|---|---|
| Deus Ex Machina | When a character is in an impossible situation and is suddenly saved by introducing a new event, character or object that seems coincidental. Think "plot convenience". |
| MacGuffin | It's basically the desire for something or a goal that lacks any explanation. The reader is expected to continue reading simply because the character wants the MacGuffin. |
| Red Herring | A seeming answer or clue that turns out to be unimportant or misleading. Red Herrings are a staple in mystery stories or "whodunits", but you should not spend too much time exploring the red herring as to not irritate readers. |