H. R. D’Costa – Smarter Story Structure

Tell me the truth.

The writing bug—it’s got you, hasn’t it?

It’s got you bad.

This isn’t the first time, either.

It has bitten you many times before.

A long time ago, you attempted to write a novel.

Even tried to publish it.

All queries were sent out.

Then, it was rejected.

Your writing dream didn’t go anywhere, then.

You gave up. It is best to put it away.

The rejections are not the reason.

Perseverance isn’t just a word in the dictionary. It’s a way of life. At least to you.

And no gatekeeper is going to get in the way of you and your dream to share your stories with the world—to have other people lose themselves in your words.

No, you set your dream aside because it wasn’t just about you anymore. Because you had a family to back you, you put your dream aside.

You needed to buy new clothes for your baby (so cute but so expensive!).).

Had to get new tires for the pickup truck…and eventually a new truck.

And then…

…there was the mortgage.

You needed to spend your time on actions that would pay those bills. That would help you fulfill your responsibilities.

So you set your writing dream aside.

The writing bug was ignored.

But now… it’s back.

With avengeance.

And this time, this time, it won’t let you go.

It’s your right to indulge.

For one thing, you’re not getting any younger. You’ve got to give voice to the stories inside of you. You can’t bottle them up. It’s not possible.

However, while sharing your stories with the world is a big part of your dream, it’s not the only part.

You’re a practical person.

You’re not just in it for the love.

You’re in it for love and money.

You have more options now than you did when you first attempted to write a novel.

You’ve heard that other writers—people like yourself with no degrees in creative writing, people who get impatient with all the grammar rules—have been making money self-Publishing their novels. Some of them have even gone on to be published. “Kindle millionaires.”

Netflix and other companies are desperate for content. They’re on the prowl for original IP (intellectual property). Wouldn’t it be cool if they chose yours?

However, it is true that a seven-year-old can be a very honest person.-figure income would be nice, while it would be amazing to see your story developed into a movie…you’d be happy just with some serious side income.

Enough to go out to dinner (and pay the babysitter) even when it’s not a special occasion.

You have enough money to pay your bills and not worry about your bank account.

Enough to provide a financial cushion for another person-Work is governed by a boring rule. You can survive this with a smile if you have a financial cushion. You might even be able to survive another change of regime.

It’s thrilling to think that writing a story—that playing an extensive round of make-believe—could get you there.

At the same time, being a practical person, you recognize that your story isn’t a special snowflake.

It’s a product.

Sure, it has the power to inspire and transform, so it’s more magical than, let’s say, a blender (although those green-Some smoothie lovers might disagree.).

Your story, despite its transformative power is still a product.

Since you’ve been blessed with a double dish of common sense, you know that to make serious side income selling a product, you have to do at least two things:

(1) You must produce a high quality product.-Quality product that pleases customers (or readers in this case). All the marketing tricks in the world can’t compensate for a dull plot.

(2) You must produce additional products, also of high quality like the first. It’s basic math. It’s simple math. The more captivating novels you sell, the more options there are for readers who will give you their money.

You can make a solid formula for success if you think like this.

I know you’re not afraid of hard work.

It’s possible to put in hours to make your novel more entertaining. And, to achieve your dream, you’re willing to invest the time to do it again…and again…and again.

But…

Given the choice, you’d prefer to work smarter, not harder.

That’s why you’re interested in mastering story structure.

That’s why you’re thinking about taking this course.

You’ve realized that it could help you get where you want to be (writing addictively entertaining stories; writing them faster).

Smarter Story Structure It provides a solid foundation, but also offers so many suggestions. “tricks” It can raise a WIP a level or two. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and will continue to refer back as I work on my current WIP.

Rupert Colley, Author

Rupert Colley is the author of The Woman on the Train, and the founder of the bestseller History in an Hour series (published HarperCollins).
Get ed now!

What is it like to write a riveting novel or screenplay?

Not a degree in French lit, that’s for sure.

You don’t need to know all the ins and outs of grammar or use $10 words, either.

Your grandpappy could captivate you—anyone, really—with his tall tales, and he didn’t even graduate from high school.

He could still hold everyone spellbound.

They’d be so enthralled, they’d almost forget to breathe.

And that’s the secret to telling a great story: delivering the ups and downs—the roller-coaster ride—that keeps readers glued to your pages.

As Chris Vogler explains in The Writer’s Journey:

A story’s structure acts as a pump that increases the engagement of the audience. Good structure works by alternately lowering and raising the hero’s fortunes and, with them, the audience’s emotions.

Vogler was Disney’s man who helped develop The Lion King. We all know the outcome. Jackpot!)

Now…you understand what Vogler is getting at.

What is the principle?

You have it.

On the other hand, it is practiced?

This was a more difficult task than you anticipated.

You might be able to give Cussler or Grisham a run for their money with some scenes from your latest draft.

But, on the whole, your plot doesn’t hit the mark. It doesn’t meet your stAndards.

It’s missing something.

It doesn’t have that up-and-The down rhythm captures readers’ attention. It doesn’t contain that roller-Coaster ride that gets readers talking “please take my money” They will see your name the next time they pass you by (just like they did with Grisham).

You’re close. You’re not totally clueless. You’re somewhere in the vicinity of delivering that experience to readers, but you’re not quite there yet.

Equally aggravating, you have the nagging sensation that you’re not doing justice to your mind-A brilliant story idea. It could be a huge breakout success…if only your plot were less awkward—if it were less like a colt the first time on its feet.

You can also create a story structure.

With three-act structure (and the essential plot points it encompasses), you have a reliable framework to organize your plot in a way that’ll strike a chord with your readers.

With it, you can easily diagnose what’s not working and minimize the chances that audiences will get bored. (But, at the same time, you’ll avoid overwhelming them with too much action.)

With it, you’ll be able to your story in the right place—and keep readers hooked to your pages, ensuring that they’ll still be around to enjoy the grand finale you have in store for them.

You can show your story with a solid structure that supports it (the kind of thing Michael Crichton would envy) to the best effect.

Because your readers won’t be distracted by sluggish pacing, they’ll be able to appreciate your hero (you know, the one who’s cooler than James Bond and Jack Reacher put together).

When asked what makes a great story, Steve DeSouza (the guy who wrote the script for Die Hard), basically said you need two things: surprises—and structure. To quote: “I’m a firm believer in the three-act structure and all the Aristotelian techniques that are a part of a good story.”

Three, speaking of Aristotle-Act structure was in use long before his time. (That’s more than 2,000 years ago!)

And it’s still being used today.

It has lasted so long because of this.

It works because it works.

This course will show you how to make the most of it.

Module 2’s tip was a game-changer for me. It makes a huge difference to how I approach the middle of a story – it’s now far less overwhelming. I’ve been working on my current WIP while going through the course and applied this insight in real-time.

I also like the format of the course. It’s like you’re there in the room with me explaining things. Very engaging.

Ellen Jacobson – Cozy Mystery Author

Ellen Jacobson, author Murder at the Marina (Book #1 of the Mollie McGhie Cozy Sailing Mysteries).

Learn how to deliver a roll-coaster ride that’ll keep readers glued to your pages.

Do you want to get the most from your writing time?

Your writing time isn’t like your phone plan.

It’s not unlimited.

You’ve got to squeeze it in between work, driving to work, and the occasional workout.

Plus, you’re committed to being there, in the present moment, with your kids.

With all of this on your plate, you don’t have much free time leftover for writing.

You’ve got to make the most of what you’ve got, which is why you’re so keen to increase your productivity during your writing sessions.

Story Structure can help.

To explain how, first let me ask you a question. (Technically, there are a number of them.

What’s it like to figure out the plot of your story as you go along?

It is a waste of time.

Why?

Because—instead of writing—you spend half of your time staring at a blank screen, while wondering, What happens next?

Your story could be a breeze. You’re cruising along—and then, 50 pages in, you just stall out.

You don’t know where your story is heading.

You’ve got nada. Zilch. Nothing.

A wall of blank pages is all that’s needed.

A disheartening prospect, certainly—but with story structure, the picture gets rosier.

You can increase your output by using story structure. This will help you avoid the frustration of writing too much.

How?

Story Structure provides markers that you can use to guide your writing.

As mentioned, these markers will help to create a gripping rolling motion.-A rollercoaster ride through a story.

They can do more.

That’s because these markers can function like streetlights on a long road. You won’t be flailing in the dark, not when these markers will light up your path ahead.

There is no need to wonder: Where am I going?

You’ll know.

And with these markers there to guide you, you should spend less time staring at a blank screen—and more time actually writing.

You’ll be able to hit your target word count—easily.

You should also note that the markers have empty spaces between them. This gives you the freedom to explore as you go. You can gain productivity by only planning some areas of your plot beforehand. You don’t have to map out all of it.

(To be clear, if you want to be an efficiency ninja, then you probably need to go into greater detail, and make more of a compromise between freedom and efficiency…but that’s not the topic of this course.)

Download immediately H. R. D’Costa – Smarter Story Structure

So far, we’ve only been talking about saving time while writing a first draft. But story structure can also help you save time when the first draft is done and it’s time to revise your baby.

Why is this?

Structure is an important aspect of any building.-Big ticket-Picture item

When it’s broken, you can’t fix it with a polish.

Nope.

You will need to completely overhaul the house in order to fix it.

And that takes a couple of weeks—probably more.

Most likely, fixing the flaws in story structure will delay completion by months.

You might find that your story is not telling the whole truth, despite all of your hard work.

Your final draft may feel more like Frankenstein after all the details that you had to rework in order to make everything work.-woven tale.

You can save yourself the pain of revising for weeks or even months if you know what your story is going to look like. This can be avoided.

Then, when you’ve finished with your first draft, you won’t be looking at a complete structural overhaul. Instead, you’ll just have to punch up your descriptions and polish up your dialogue.

Even better?

Your structure is solid and your plot flows well, so readers will appreciate it. (And by it, I mean your stunning descriptions and Lee Child–esque dialogue).
The benefits keep coming in.

The time you save, both by writing more and editing less, could allow you to increase production, possibly doubling or tripling it.

However, there are other options.

Without being annoying, you could learn how to navigate social media’s murky waters.

You could spend some quality time with your spouse and maybe even sip margaritas on a deck.

You could even play outside with your children.

You have the freedom to choose.

Writing time does not have to take up too much of your family’s time.

I’ve been writing novels since 2002 and while I’m largely self-I’ve read and taught stacks of craft books. Your approach to framing some of the same challenges is exactly the same. Smarter Story Structure It is easier to understand for some reason.

I’ve already worked my way through Module 1 and have had several epiphanies. Looking forward to finishing!

Author Bill Cokas

Bill Cokas author of the comic mystery Ring of Fire

What are you going to get with this course?

30-nonsense, fluff-FYI: Free lessons
15 bites-Video tutorials of various sizes (All videos are under 10 minutes, so you can work on your writing skills while still keeping your busy schedule in mind.
3 audio-Not only lessons but several high-quality visuals—100+ images, 12 infographics, and 5 slide decks (I like to think there’s something there for you, regardless of your learning style.)
Three bonus tips from my writing book Sparkling Story Drafts (Think of them like the ornamental fountain in front of mansion; they’ll make whatever structure you have even more impressive.)
3 cheat sheets
One makes it perfect-It’s easy to tell your story in the right way.
One will help you to overcome a storytelling problem that only the best writers can solve.
One helps you to deploy a ninja-level tactic that’ll reinforce the impression that you are a crazy-Good storyteller.
This course includes 3 PDF workbooks
The Three-Take action Structure Workbook will help you apply what you’ve learned—without getting overwhelmed.
The Audio Companion Workbook helps you test how much info you’ve retained from the audio-Only lessons.
The Story Structure Organizer will help you build a sturdy structure for your next writing project—step by step.
Freedom to decide when and how you want to finish each lesson.
the convenience of being able to access each lesson from the comfort of your home—and perhaps, in the comfort of sweatpants (It’ll be like getting all the takeaways from a weekend seminar without the hassle of traveling to—and from—the seminar venue.)

Your learning journey might look like this…

The most important point: Enrolling in Smarter Story Structure Complete the 30 lessons. End goal: You can pay the bills using your imagination.

Use your imagination to pay your bills

Learn How To Overcome Common Reader Complaints…

As you go through the 5 modules in this course, you’ll learn practical tips for overcoming the plot problems that readers often gripe about.

Have a look…
Why are readers so reluctant to read novels?

The Goodreads infographic screenshot shows that 46.4% readers quit reading novels because they find the story too slow.

Infographic by Goodreads

This problem isn’t limited to novels, either. One studio reader had compiled all the reasons he decided to give a script a pass, and not a recommend (or consider) a few years back.

Of the 300 scripts that he had read, only 69 (or 23%) of them were too late. “failed to gain traction until after the halfway point.”

Infographic for script reader – slow er

In Lesson 1.4 of this course (which comes with a deck of 35+ slides), you’ll learn how to position your inciting incident to solve the problem of sluggish pacing. In Lesson 2.2, you’ll learn how to detect—and fix—the “slow er” The studio reader discovered so many scripts that they were a problem.

Also, you can do the writing exercises. “Tick-Tock,” “Speed It Up,” And “Analyzing Chef” From your Three-Take action Structure Workbook, your next story should not be another tragic Goodreads/studio story-Reader statistics
What’s it like to be mentored by John Grisham?

I don’t know.

But Tony Vanderwarker does.

Vanderwarker was his mentor for two years. (The men are neighbours. Grisham shared his secrets to writing popular fiction as part of his mentoring sessions.

One of these is a strong middle.

Vanderwarker elaborates:

He is good at coming up with the ending and opening. [John Grisham] says. It’s that 300-The page must be able to support itself and not run out of gas.

By the time you’ve finished Module 2 of this course, you should walk away with the confidence that you can write a middle that doesn’t “run out of gas.”

To get more specific, in Lesson 2.1, you’ll learn how to liven up the middle of any (a) plot involving a romance, buddy-Cop duo or road trip, or (b), story in the action thriller, mystery, or suspense genres.

After that, in Lesson 2.2, you’ll learn about a midpoint fulcrum that’ll nip escalation problems in the bud—which increases the odds that your story idea will fulfill its blockbuster potential. (Psst: You’ll also get a cheat sheet that’ll make it easier for you to use this technique.)

In Lesson 2.4, you’ll learn about a neat trick (used in a Colleen Hoover new-Adult romance and Fast Five are two options to intensify the emotional intensity of the ending of your story.

Additionally, you can finish the writing exercise afterward “Gloves Off!” that follows Lesson 2.4, you’ll be less likely to yield to an instinct that can easily derail your quest to write a gripping story middle.

That’s not all. In Lesson 4.3, you’ll learn how to flesh out your story middle with variations of a special plot point. If you use this plot point correctly, it may feel as if the middle of your story is actually writing itself.
This could have been the reason that a reviewer rated your book as a “pass” instead of a “consider.” (Or, why your script received a pass and not a consider?

Here’s an excerpt from the Amazon.com review of Crown of Embers: AYA Fantasy Novel.

The book’s ending is the main problem. [that] It was not rated 5 stars. There was much buildup to the final chapter, just like the previous book. Elisa has to wait throughout the book to reach the end of her journey. Instead of seeing the fireworks, you see tiny sparklers. My epic fight! Epic!

This reader was disappointed because she wanted a dazzling finale (fireworks)…but got anticlimax (sparklers) instead.

If you want to leave readers begging for more, you can’t disappoint readers like this.

This is a problem I see a lot. Remember that studio reader I spoke of a while back? He also has.

Out of 300 scripts that he analysed, 35 had an anticlimactic end. (30 scripts went unanswered). “off the rails” During the third act.

Infographic for script readers – weak endings

Clearly, you don’t want to drown your readers in an ocean of anticlimax.

Fortunately, in Lesson 3.7 of this course, you’ll learn the secret sauce to creating “fireworks” For your readers. I’ll walk you through it, piece by piece.

Now, once you create these fireworks, your climax won’t be wimpy. You’ll already be way ahead of other writers who fizzle out by the end of their stories.

But if you want to crystallize a reader’s impression that you’re a crazy-Gimme, good-All-The-If you are a storyteller, you need to go even further. Cap audiences’ experience with an extra thrill. In Lesson 3.9, I’ll give you a cheat sheet that will help you do just that.

And then after that—’cause your muse is on a roll here—you could try to use the special payoff trick that’s included as one of your Sparkling bonus tips. Because this trick will increase the emotional resonance of your resolution, it’s a great one to have in your back pocket.

PS: The Module 3 lessons (on ending stories) are my favourite. I think you’ll get a lot out of ’em!
Readers succumb to this money maker—yet grumble about it. Here’s one fix…

Any reader is available-centric hangout, and you’d be hard-It was hard not to feel a deep dislike for cliffhanger endings.

However, the cliffhanger ending can also be a powerful selling tool.

So if you’d like to steer clear of the controversy—but still enjoy steady sales—what should you do?

Well, in Lesson 4.2, I’ll share with you a simple technique you can use to entice readers to buy the next book in your series—without resorting to the cliffhanger.
This isn’t as bad as the blank page (but it comes pretty close).

Have you ever purchased lemonade in a store?

It has the same yellow color as freshly squeezed lemonade.-White color

It’s clouded by the same lemony pulp.

It has the same taste profile as sweet, but tart.

But bottled lemonade sure doesn’t taste the same as fresh.

In the same vein…

…there’s a difference between pages filled with words—and pages filled with words worth reading.

(And this worthiness, by the way, is determined by the average Joe just looking to escape reality for a few hours—not by some snooty literary critic.)

Let’s not beat around the bush.

You can have pages filled with action, dialogue, and description…but they don’t go anywhere.

They invite abandonment, to be honest.

You know what I’m talking about. Because there’s a difference between pages filled with…

The authorial equivalent to throat clearing
Scenes that are repetitive or feel monotonous
Weimpy endings

…and pages that are so gripping, they keep readers up all night.

While blank pages are the worst, pages filled with words that do NOT add up to a story…well, that’s almost as bad.

That’s because, to succeed—to make serious side income with your writing—your story can’t just look like a great read.

It must be one.

James Scott Bell, author (and instructor in writing), put it this:

All that raw material is now being transformed [for a story]…isn’t simply a matter of putting it into words on a page or screen. You must “translate” It into something that readers can relate too. That’s what structure does.

This last part is often a struggle for many writers: translating their words “into a form that readers can relate to.”

You should be able to solve this common problem with all the lessons in this course. The audio content in Lesson 5.5 can be particularly useful. It summarizes six ways three can be used.-The act structure can make your screenplay or novel more interesting (and not just because it is the right length).

Plus, at the very end of Module 5, you’ll find the Story Structure Organizer: a 70+ page workbook that will help you build—step by step—a sturdy structural foundation for your next novel or screenplay.
This is just a sampling of what you’ll learn in this course…

This is just a taste. If you’d like to get a fuller picture, scroll down to the bottom of this page. There, you’ll get a full list of all 30 lessons.

Also, I’ve made 3 lessons available for immediate . These lessons will give you an instant feel for the course.

I loved this course. It is well designed and makes sense.

Module 3 was a great module that taught me so much about the resolution and climax. I understand them both in a way that I didn’t understand before I took Smarter Story Structure. The course taught me a lot and I am confident I can write stories that will engage my readers.

Janet Z

Learn how to leave readers begging for more (while you’re on your lunch break!)

Still have questions?

Is this the right course?

You’re the best judge of that. To help you make a decision, I’ve made 3 lessons available for .

Scroll down and go through them. Then, make your choice.

If you buy this course and then decide later on that it isn’t for you, no worries. Request a refund within 30 days of purchase—and you’ll get it, without any hassle.
I’ve read Sizzling Story Outlines: This is where you will cover the story structure in depth. This course is still available.

You’re right. Part