STORY STRUCTURES
Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure
Three easy steps which you can apply to every kind of narration.
Let’s move in our journey of Story Structure Series writing about Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure.
In the previous article, we learn about Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method, whereas the Dean Koontz’s method is simpler.
It equally takes its cue from the base of the story, elaborated however differently, through three main steps.
What is the Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure?
Dean Koontz is an American writer, known for novels that can be roughly described as suspense thrillers. Frequently in the story, he incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery and satire.
The three steps of Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure
This method is composed of three different parts. It is simple and can be applied to every kind of narration.
- Write about your characters, their attitude and get the reader to get attached to this character. After that, make the characters encounter some difficulties as soon as possible. Only in this way will the reader begin to take an interest in the events of the characters and to fear for their lives.
- Don’t make life easy for your character but, on the contrary, try to complicate it with other difficulties and plot twists. In some cases, you may feel that your characters’ actions make the situation and events worse. The situation seems almost hopeless to the reader.
- It is important to show how much your character has learned during the narration. In the end, it’s nice to show that he can pull himself out of any difficulty precisely because of the lessons he’s learned.
Goals of Dean Koontz method
In addition to these steps, Dean Koontz identified the goals to keep in mind for every novel.
Firstly, you have to think that the aim of your story is to immediately grip the reader. Secondly, you have to introduce the main character that you will put in trouble in the next step.
It is important to let the reader know right away that the narrative will be full of twists and turns, and suspense, timed by events at a very high pace.
Finally, create a strong sense of reality. Do not fantasize too much, otherwise, the reader may risk losing interest because the events are too absurd and distant from reality.
Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy.
Dean Koontz
Conclusions
The second method we wrote in this Story Structure Series is Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure, a simpler technique to learn how to structure a novel.
This is composed of three easy steps which you can apply to every kind of narration. Don’t lose other articles of this Story Structure Series!
Check out the other articles in the same series!
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