✨📚 The Classical Structure: The Skeleton of Every Great Story

Writing a story is like building a house. 🏠 If the foundation is solid, the story stands up no matter how many twists, subplots, or characters you add. The key is in its classic structure :

1️⃣ Introduction – We introduce the world and the characters. 🌍👥
2️⃣ Knot – The conflict grows and everything gets complicated. 😱🔥
3️⃣ Outcome – The conflict is resolved, with a shocking ending. 🎭✨

🎬 1. Approach: The First Impact

This is where you present the main idea of the story, introduce the main characters, and give clues about the conflict that will develop.

💡 Example:
Think of Blade Runner 🦾: From the beginning we know that it is a futuristic world with humans and replicants, and that the protagonist, Deckard, has a mission. Boom! We are already in the story.

🎯 Tips for a good plot:
✅ Present the central idea in the first scene or chapter.
✅ Introduce the characters in action , not with long descriptions.
✅ Give clues about the conflict without revealing too much.

🔥 2. Knot: Where the Magic Happens

Here the protagonist faces increasingly bigger challenges. Things get complicated, secrets come to light, and decisions have consequences.

💡 Example:
In Dune 🏜️, Paul Atreides goes from being a young nobleman to being exiled in the desert, facing his destiny. Each twist brings him closer to the climax.

🎯 How to keep a plot interesting:
✅ Increase tension with unexpected obstacles.
✅ Let characters grow with each challenge.
✅ Introduce narrative twists that maintain suspense.

🎭 3. Denouement: The Big Closing

The main conflict is resolved and the characters face the consequences of their actions. It can be a closed ending (everything is resolved) or an open ending (we leave room for interpretation or a sequel).

💡 Example:
In 2001: A Space Odyssey 🚀, the ending is mysterious and philosophical, leaving the reader/viewer to ponder. In contrast, in Star Wars 🛸, the first film has a clear ending: the rebels win!

🎯 Tips for a great ending:
✅ Don't make everything too easy (avoid the famous Deus ex machina ).
✅ Make sure the protagonist learned something from their journey.
✅ If there are any final surprises, make sure they make sense based on what you've already told.

🧩 The Central Idea: The Heart of the Story

Each story revolves around a big central idea , which can be a conflict, a theme, or a philosophical question.

🔹 Examples of central ideas:

What does it mean to be human? ( Blade Runner )
Is destiny immutable? ( Dune )
How would humanity react to alien contact? ( The Arrival )

🎨 Ways to create a central idea

🧠 What if method

"What if robots had emotions?" ( I, Robot )
"What if an AI ruled the world?" ( Matrix )

📖 "Message or Topic" Method

"I want to talk about the abuse of technology" → Black Mirror
"I want to explore war and sacrifice" → Starship Troopers

🎭 Character Method

"What if a normal man found out he was the chosen one?" ( Neo in Matrix )
"What if an astronaut was stranded on Mars?" ( The Martian )

Whichever method you choose, your story should revolve around that central idea , keeping it clear and coherent.

🤖 How can AI help you structure your story?

AI not only generates ideas, but helps you organize content into chapters, following plots and ensuring a coherent structure.

📌 Example of how to use AI to structure chapters

1️⃣ Ask for help organizing the plot
🗯️ "I have a story about a civilization on Proxima Centauri B. How could I structure it into chapters?"
👉 The AI might suggest:

Chapter 1: Introducing the Settlers
Chapter 2: First contact with aliens
Chapter 3: Conflict over resources
Chapter 4: Revelations about the planet

2️⃣ Have AI analyze your story's pacing
🗯️ "Does my story get slow in the middle? How can I improve the pacing?"
👉 The AI might point out chapters lacking tension and suggest adding secondary conflicts.

3️⃣ Request unexpected narrative twists
🗯️ “Give me a surprise twist for the final chapter.”
👉 The AI might suggest:

"The colonists discover that the planet was already inhabited by humans centuries ago."
"The ship's AI becomes conscious and decides to abandon the crew."

✨ Conclusion: Build your story with a solid foundation

🎭 Remember:
✅ Every story has a Beginning, Middle, and End .
✅ The Central Idea guides the entire story.
✅ AI can help you structure and improve the story, but the creative spark is still yours .

🔥 Now it's your turn! 🔥
💬 Do you have an idea in mind? It's time to shape it and write that epic story! 🚀📖

Thank you for reading . This free, ad-free, hand-made publication is made possible by the support of readers like you. If you are truly interested in writing and want to help keep it going, keep reading, buy my books, hire my services as an editor, proofreader, or private tutor, or best of all, become a paid subscriber to my services. 🚀

Are you going through some tough times? Ok, that's fine. I can understand. In that case you can ( at least ) send a thank you note or recommend me to your friends, right ? 😃

Do you have questions? Do you want to expand on these topics?

If you are interested in expanding on these topics, I recommend that you read my articles for writers. There you will find many interesting topics that will help you become a 21st century writer. Here are my notes for writers (use the google translate button - for no-spanish writers-) 🌌✍️

Do you have any questions? You can ask me -in english too- through a google form. Use the "Tu Consulta" button, please: