: Re: How to avoid formulaic fictional structures while still using tried and tested techniques? There are several books that provide an excellent breakdown of the elements that make a good story or

@Megan928

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There are what many would consider formulas out there, and they have their purpose. I prefer to think of them as a framework. These common themes and trends can help make sure we dont forget anything that makes a story a full experience. My personal favorite is Joseph Campbell. His book The Hero with a Thousand Faces is a comparative mythology. He distills the similarities in the stories from around the globe into the 'Hero's Journey'.

I find this diagram a particularly useful representation. Like the answer above mentioned it is how you differ, challenge and change the narrative that makes a story great (well ok it can make a story great...sometimes it makes a story terrible). In my writing I have used the below to formulate the overarching story and then write my way within. Though when I proofread and review I often find that this path appears in subsections of the story as well. There are steps in the life of any character, and the steps are important because these things that recur in fiction are common to humanity...they are what help pull readers in because things are familiar. How you execute and twist the expected is what makes a story great (in my opinion).

I would say don't be afraid to utilize these frameworks/formulas...they exist for good reason, just make sure along the way you make it your own.

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