Thirty-eight Elements of Story

The writer’s software ‘Fictionary’ works on thirty-eight elements of story.  It’s a long and thorough list of goals, objectives and measures, across every aspect of a manuscript down to scene-level.

The editors at Fictionary specialise in structural and developmental edits for authors. Their detailed editing method is a low level analysis of every scene in a novel, breaking every chapter down into scenes before they begin. Their critique using the thirty-eight story elements provides a rigorous (sometimes painful) edit list for the next draft by the author.

If thirty-eight elements seems like a long list – it is. But if you can look at every scene in a novel and clearly answer the questions, then structurally and objectively the scene works. It should fit into the overall outline of the novel. There should be no muddled, inconclusive, or superfluous scenes. Any that are need to be rewritten or cut.

I came up with a mother-hubbard of a spreadsheet to do the same job. It tells me how each scene contributes to the whole. I can also spot patterns  across all the scenes. Repetition of the same structure scene after scene can be tedious. There’s no worse sin than boring the reader.

My Version of the Thirty-eight

Character First

My version, ordered and annotated slightly differently from the source, starts with character items:

1. Characters (Per Scene) – who is in our cast for this mini-epic?
2. Point of View – through whose eyes are we seeing this scene?
3. POV Character Goal (External) – what is the characters outward or surface goal?
4. POV Character Goal (Internal) – what is their underlying or hidden goal, often related to their weakness or flaw?
5. POV Goal Related to Plot – it has to intersect with the main or sub-plot somewhere or else why does the scene matter?
6. Stakes – What happens if they fail to attain their goals?
7. Scene Impact on POV Character
8. Scene Impact on Protagonist (if not the same)
9. POV character Knowledge Gained by the end
10. Characters in Motion – are all the characters in the scene doing or contributing something? If not why are they present?

Plot and Structure

The next set is mostly about plot and structure:

11. Scene Name (purpose, tracking, placeholder in outline)
12. Scene place or contribution in story arc
13. Scene Purpose – what are we showing here?
14. Scene Opening Type (dialogue, action, description)
15. Scene Closing Type (dialogue, action, description
16. Scene Anchor (when, where, who, what, how)
17. Scene Entry Hook
18. Scene Exit Hook
19. Tension – what creates tension in the scene?
20. Conflict – what is the conflict, between which characters? Dos it relate back to goals and stakes
21. Revelation – what do we (through the characters) find out that is a) new and b) impacts on the plot or perception of the characters?
22. Backstory – does the scene add some backstory to characters and events?
23. Flashback – do we wind back to an earlier time, episode or incident?
24. Scene Middle – act two of the scene, if you will, moving the plot along
25. Scene Climax – act three, the big finish
26. Action / Sequel – action takes place OR the characters react to what just happened
27. Reader Knowledge Gained – what does the reader find out in the course of the scene?

Not forgetting…

Last comes physical detail and some of the abstract aspects of the story:

28. Location
29. Date / Time
30. Objects
31. Sights
32. Smells
33. Sounds
34. Tastes
35. Touch
36. Emotional Impact
37. Weather
38. Scene Split – is the scene self contained and complete or can it be split into multiple scenes?

Pro or Con?

If you’re a dedicated and thorough Outliner of a writer, this is the completist’s dream. If you’re a Discovery Writer, you’ll be spitting blood and venom at it.

I think there’s a middle way. Get used to asking the questions. Become adept at spotting patterns in your writing. Build habits and routines around this in your editing. Maybe your don’t need all thirty-eight elements all the time. But it’s a good list for a fall-back.