Story Engineering by Larry Brooks

October 20, 2011

Story Engineering book by Larry Brooksby Ron Estrada

Like many aspiring novelists, I tend to collect “how to write” books. I think I have about a dozen on my bookshelf and have read another twenty from the library. All have been useful, inspiring, and informative in their own right, but only a chosen few have made it to my “must have” status. Story Engineering by Larry Brooks is one of them. Larry doesn’t seek to inspire (though he does). He doesn’t tell (or show) you to “show don’t tell.” He doesn’t tell you how to get an agent.

What he does tell you is priceless and long overdue: He tells you how to construct a story. Simple, yes? But most new writers, myself included, missed it. Despite the insistence that fiction writing is 100% art, there are established standards in which a well-told story will flow. Even the SOP, or seat-of-the-pants writers who get published follow these standards, they just have naturally honed instincts that get them to the destination without an outline. The average keytapper like me, however, does not have finally honed instincts. And, unless your initials are Stephen King, chances are you don’t either.

Here’s the basics:

  • Each novel is broken up into 4 sections (or “acts”)–Setup, Response, Attack, and Resolution. From the character perspective Larry describes these sections as Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, and Martyr.
  • There are essential plot points between these acts: First Plot Point (the protagonist is launched into his journey) at the end of scene one. Midpoint at…well, the middle. and the Second Plot Point, just before the climactic Act 4.
  • Interspersed in these sections are “Pinch Points,” where the antagonist makes himself known to our hero.
Larry instructs us how to break up our novel into each of these sections and where each plot point and pinch point are to be located. For those of us who find writing a novel a daunting task, breaking it down into sections is a blessing! By the time you’re done jotting down notes for each of these points in the book, you darn near have it outlined. In fact, Larry uses this method and claims he’s always had a first draft that was ready to send to the publisher. I had my doubts, but as I think about it, it’s not so far fetched. Your “rewrites” will simply be done during the note taking process. Once you’ve got an outline, it’s practically written.
For those of us who like a detailed outline, we can fill in the basic outline with the scenes leading up to and away from each plot point. For you SOPers, leave it at the basics and go man go! I tend to fall in between. I like to know the beginning, middle, and end, but I don’t need to know the brand name of the tires used in the getaway car in chapter 27 before I start writing. I think even the most committed SOPer will admit to having a pretty good idea of her novel’s high points before she’s finished chapter one and posted her landmark achievement on Twitter.
Larry gets into some other details like foreshadowing, a bit on character, hook, etc. I liked the book so much that I’m ordering the hard copy after already downloading it to my Kindle. Easier to bookmark and make notes that way!
By all means, writers, add this one to your bookshelf (or Kindle). Make it the one writing book you read this year and you won’t be disappointed.
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Gina Conroy

Gina Conroy

From the day I received my first diary in the second grade, I've had a passion expressing myself through writing. Later as a journalist and novelist, I realized words, if used powerfully, have the ability to touch, stir, and reach from the depths of one soul to another. Today as a writing and health coach, I inspire others to live their extraordinary life and encourage them to share their unique stories. For daily inspiration follow me on https://www.facebook.com/gina.conroy and check out my books here https://amzn.to/3lUx9Pi