I’m continuing to ease you in to this challenge with tiny tasks, and today’s is to download The Short Story Framework and file it away in your dedicated StoryADay workspace.
(You did set one up, didn’t you?)
Why Use The Framework?
Of course there is no single way to write a short story, and no single ‘correct’ form of what a short story should look like.
(They’re subversive little things, and that’s why I love them)
There is, however, a simple framework that will support a particular type of short story: a traditional, narrative short story with one protagonist and a couple of supporting characters.
It’s a solid scaffolding that allows you to focus on the aesthetics of the thing: the characters, the description, the theme…
We’re going to be working with this framework later this week so today’s task is:
Download The Short Story Framework
…and put it in your dedicated StoryADay workspace.
Then bring it out again, because I want you to read through the framework.
Don’t write anything yet (I mean, you can. I can’t stop you…) but instead think about stories you already know and how they fit into this framework.
(Good models are the Star Wars movies, and episodic TV that tells a single story each week)
The framework isn’t something I invented. It’s what I reverse-engineered from millennia of western storytelling (and other people’s attempts to deconstruct it).
It will serve you well, to get from “Idea” to “The end” this month, without taking too long to get into the real story; without wandering off into a messy middle that never wants to let you leave it; and without wondering if you’ve really reached ‘the end’.
Bingo!
Here’s your next Bingo Piece. Download the pic, print it out and paste it onto your bingo sheet. Then share a picture of it on social media with #storyadaybingo
You don’t have to do all the tasks in order, so paste your tokens on the gameboard on whatever day you get to it!
Leave a comment:
- Were you able to recognize the structure as you thought through stories you knew? Did it feel familiar and comfortable?
- I mentioned a few common pitfalls that derail people’s short story efforts. (Taking too long to get to the real story; wandering around lost in the middle; not knowing how to end.) What’s your biggest enemy, when trying to write (and finish) a short story?
- Bonus question: Do you tend to resist structure or love it? (Don’t worry if you don’t like outlining. That’s not what we’re going to be doing with this).
