Story Shapes Part II: Structuring Intricate Plots

Where can drawing and story structure dance together?

My friend, you’ve come to the dance floor where words and images share hot moves.

I'm Theodore Lowry – a writer, podcaster, and artist.

Planning and improv storytelling

If you’re a writer, however aspiring or pro you may be, you know that stories can be hard beasts to tame. One of the wonders of writing is that it leads us through unexpected corners and alleyways. Yet it’s easy to get lost in there, and end up with an unruly tangle of words that took a long time to make, but doesn’t hold together as a story.

That’s where high-level planning comes in, to get a snapshot of the story as a whole. Planning can work in tandem with exploratory storytelling, the yang to improv’s yin, if you will.

Planning can be done with tools like premise lines and designing principles, brief summaries of plot, character, place and theme. Getting into more detail, many writers use index cards to play out beats and scenes.

Visualising Stories

A lesser-known tool is visualisation. A word can be worth a thousand pictures, and a picture can be worth a thousand words. The relationships of the planets in our solar system, the movement of water in a vast watershed, the cycle of seasons… it is the art of indicating a lot with a little.

In part 1 of this class, we explored six classic story shapes, and how they swing the main character between positive and negative poles.

I suggest taking that class first, as in this class we’re going to get more visionary, trying out more unusual story shapes and combinations. If you’re keen to play with story structure in an organic, high-level way, this may be for you.

What You'll Learn:

1 5 new story shapes: Circular, puzzle, diamond, branch and parentheses. Also, within circle you’ll learn several variations.

2 Experiment: You’ll take these shapes out for a spin with your own stories.

3 Combining shapes: Combine shapes in the high-level overview of your story. Also, a scene is a mini story. See what happens when you use different shapes sequentially to build your story.

4 Make your own shapes: Go beyond these shapes and imagine your own.

Is This Course for You?

It may be a fit it:

• You’ve got a story idea that needs honing

• You're struggling with a story that needs a fresh perspective.

• You're seeking a new story idea to ignite your creative fire.

Whether you're a budding writer, an experienced scribe, or simply curious about storytelling, this course offers something valuable. It's especially designed for those who have explored various story structures and are keen to experiment with a new creative tool.

Join me on this captivating journey where we'll reshape narratives, ignite creativity, and navigate the differently shaped waves of the story ocean. Sail on to bring your storytelling to a new dimension.