Hi Reader,
You’ve heard of Save the Cat! Story Grid. Hero’s Journey.
These are all frameworks designed to help you edit a novel. If you don’t know these names, I bet you know others—Freytag’s Pyramid, 7 Point Story Structure, Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, there are dozens more.
Each one promises that if you use it, you’ll be able to craft better stories. And because we want to write good books, the writers I know are constantly learning new frameworks and analyzing their stories through them.
I use frameworks like these in the editing process, after the first draft is already written. But I’ve seen many writers use them earlier, even before they begin writing.
It’s a tempting thought, right?
What if you could use these frameworks to solve your story problems and make writing your first draft so much easier?
What if you could build a story from the ground up that already fulfills everything those frameworks require from the very first draft?
Would that shortcut the creative process? Would it help you create a better story faster?
Or . . . would it get in the way of your storytelling? Are there moments in the creative process when frameworks like these might just do more harm than good?
I’m a big fan of storytelling frameworks. But in today’s episode of Your Next Draft, we’re taking a hard look at them.
I’ve brought in editor/coach Brannan Sirratt to help me explore:
- What do frameworks offer?
- What can’t they do for us?
- And what is your authority as the author of your own story?
Listen to our conversation in your favorite podcast player »
Full transparency, this is one of those weeks when the podcast episode is up and out, but the blog post is still to come. So you can find this in Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or in your favorite podcast player.
If you’ve ever wondered if you can use editing tools to help you write your first draft, you won’t want to miss this episode.
Plus, Brannan is basically a magical book genius, and I’m thrilled to share a bit of her writing wisdom with you.
Listen now »
Happy editing,
Alice