Story writing (whether as a novel, short story, or a script) has similarities to software development. I think that is why I found it hard to be a software developer for a day job, whilst trying to write a novel in my spare time. Both involve sitting in front of a computer screen and planning how to proceed, before typing into some form of text editor.
Another similarity is that you can easily get stuck in tutorial hell. It is common knowledge among developers that spending a significant amount of time watching videos on Udemy or YouTube can cause the realization that you haven’t actually learned anything when you work.
When developing software, there are multiple aspects to investigate - programming languages, effective techniques, and the most recent JavaScript framework. There is always something new. An aspiring writer can also read books about story structure, dialogue, character building, world building, and so on. Before you know it, ten years have passed, and the novel is still unwritten. Don’t ask me how I know.
I believe you should limit the number of books you read about writing craft, and instead you should spend your valuable time reading novels in the genre you intend to work in, and practicing writing.
With that in mind, this is a review of Into The Woods by John Yorke, a book which covers the five act structure.
I chose this book initially because of the writer. John is the creator of the BBC Writers’ Academy. He has also worked as both Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production. He won a BAFTA as Executive Producer of EastEnders in 2002.
The book is really about screenwriting. The examples given (and there are many) are movies and television programmes. However, the ideas about story structure can also apply to novel writing.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook, even though it gets a little repetitive, but it never becomes boring. The writer has an encyclopaedic knowledge, and he’s not afraid of showing it.
The author divides the book into five parts. In the first part, he discusses what makes a story, and covers both the three act and five act structures.
In the second part, he covers what makes up a story - acts and scenes. He also mentions the inciting incident here.
The third, and smallest, part discusses showing and telling.
Next, we have a section covering character and dialogue.
Finally, the fifth part covers the challenges of writing a series.
This isn’t really a how-to book, with a list of instructions on how to write. As a result, despite what I’ve said about limiting how many craft books a writer should read, it might be useful to read another book on structure. I would still recommend this book.
If you are a writer, what craft books would you recommend?
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