Putting the Pieces Together

Recently I’ve been doing a deep dive into story structure and how to develop a better planning method for the stories I write. I haven’t been entirely happy with my process, so before I write the next novel, I wanted to brush up on the parts of the story and what is required in the romances I write.

I did a load of laundry today that included a quilt my grandmother had made. As I took it out of the dryer to fold, my hands trailed over the pieces of material that also marked the patchwork of my life. I’d seen most of those pieces on various quilts throughout my childhood. While my mother likes to buy fabric and create quilts with color schemes or themes, my grandmother was old school, using leftover fabric from her sewing and pieces of cast-off clothing. Skimming over the pieces made me feel connected to my childhood and family, who have long since passed away, remembering who wore this shirt or who sewed that piece into a dress. Every piece on that quilt has a story, is a part of the fabric of my life growing up.

It dawned on me then that telling a story and story structure is like that quilt. Each piece needs to go in its own unique place and when sewn together makes a complete story. The meet cute must be near the beginning, the black moment about three quarters of the way through, the happily-ever-after at the end. Like my grandmother piecing together the patches of fabric, I am piecing together the parts of a story. I have to get each one in the right place, not only to make certain the story is understandable, but so there is flow and pacing. The characters have to get from point A to point B in a logical yet emotionally satisfying way. They must respond to the circumstances they find themselves in and also attack the problem head on to receive the reward of love by the end.

I’ve spent the last month reading various websites, books, and blogs trying to understand more deeply what structure is and why it matters. I want the pieces to fall into the right place at the right time. I want the pacing to be perfect to encourage the reader along the characters’ journey.

It isn’t like I know all the exact scenes that will take part in the story when I begin planning. Some occur before I’ve written a word, and others will happen more organically as I write. But I know the parts that have to be there and where they need to go. Just like the quilt, I have the patches that must be sewn together to form a particular pattern. Then those patches must be sewn together to form the larger pattern of the whole quilt. There is the backing, like the backstory of each character, that must complement and provide support for the blanket. The edges hold everything together, and the quilting stitches provide support and embellishment. If I get it right, my story will have all the structural parts to hold itself together just like the quilt.

Who knew I’d be sewing a quilt of words together just as my grandmother sewed pieces of fabric together?

Below is a list of resources I used for my deep dive. Please let me know others that you've found useful.

Books

Brooks, Larry.2011. Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest Books.

Websites, Blogs, Etc.

Brooks, Larry. StoryFix. StoryFix, 2020, storyfix.com/.

Gilbo, Savannah. "The 6 Key Scenes Every Romance Needs." Savannah Gilbo: Editor and Book Coach, Savannah Gilbo. Accessed 16 Aug. 2022, www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/romance-obligatory-scenes.

Hayes, Gwen. Romancing the Beat. Gwen Hayes, 2020, www.romancingthebeat.com/.

Lakin, C.S. "20 Key Scenes for Writers of Romance Novels." Live. Write. Thrive., Live Writer Thrive, 22 Aug. 2016, www.livewritethrive.com/2016/08/22/20-key-scenes-for-writers-of-romance-novels/.

Lovett, Robin. "The Structure of Romance." DIY MFA, DIY MFA, 3 Apr. 2018, diymfa.com/writing/structure-romance-writing#:~:text=The%20Structure%20of%20Romance%201%201%29%20Call%20to,moment%20%2F%20The%20Break%20Up%20...%20More%20items.