First, I must confess I’m more of a plotter than a pantser and this preference undoubtedly shapes my perspective.
If you’re a budding writer looking for a guiding light, I have a recommendation for you. While I firmly believe that no writer should limit themselves to a single book, there’s one that I believe deserves a special place on your shelf—Anatomy of Story by Truby.
This book covers all the basics of creating a great story in a clear step-by-step manner. It covers each of the main considerations in a measured way without excessive emphasis on one area to the exclusion of others. A similar book is Story by McKee. I’ve found the two of these books to be great companion manuals on storytelling.
The most valuable gem I unearthed from this book is the concept of character development and four-corner opposition. Initially, this concept didn’t strike a chord with me. Whether that was due to my inexperience or a lack of in-depth discussion, I can’t say. However, Truby has since expanded on this idea, and I’ve found the best explanation of this concept is the Four Corner Opposition YouTube post by Tyler Mowery.
By structuring your characters around this concept, you naturally weave conflict into your story. This approach also dovetails beautifully with the Story Grid’s Decision Matrix, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of the problem context.
As I’ve delved deeper into the art of story creation, I’ve found that blending a variety of concepts works best for me. I’ve personally integrated the Four Corner Opposition into my writing process and used it extensively when editing Hope and Madness.
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