How It Works
Identified from extensive research into how people connect with stories, the 38 Fictionary Story Elements ensure you provide an objective and comprehensive edit.
Powerful stories are created by combining creativity with intention. From outlining and story coaching to a complete structural edit, you’ll cover all your client’s needs.
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Start by reviewing pacing.
Every scene is used as a building block to create a powerful story. You’ll know the writer has control over the narrative if they have a word count per scene that works for the story. Evaluating this first will help you determine the level of talent the writer has and how to best help them.
Check out the Cast of Characters.
It’s an editors job to ensure characters are memorable. When you review characters, use the character insights to do so analytically. The more specific and objective you can be, the more it will help your client. StoryCoach is designed to help you do this with powerful visuals.
After the initial assessment of pacing and characters, you’ll understand the writer’s skill.
Start your scene-be-scene edit, and track changes and recommendations as you go. You’ll perform a comprehensive story edit if you evaluate the work against the Story Elements for Characters, Plot and Settings.
As you edit, mark the inciting incident, plot point 1, midpoint, plot point 2, and the climax scenes.
Review the client’s story arc versus StoryCoach’s recommended story arc and make recommendations.
Your client will be amazed.
Working with Clients
Are you a collaborator? Do you want to work alone and deliver the edit at the end? Perform an initial assessment?
Whatever your style, StoryCoach helps you stay away from your personal preferences and gives you perspective on the story as a whole.
Help your clients produce stories that give the world a diversity of choice by making their voices shine.
Location
Choosing where a scene happens has a massive impact on how the scene plays out. When describing the location, ask yourself: Is the location important to the plot, characters, or theme?
Purpose
There must always be a reason why any given scene exists in your story. A scene without a purpose will distract the reader from the main story. It may even bore the reader. If a scene doesn't drive the story forward, then ask yourself why it’s even in your novel.
Revelation
Whenever a character learns new information, they should make a decision or change their course of action. The revelation gives you the opportunity to think of all the different ways they could react and choose the best course of action for your story.
38 Fictionary Story Elements
Story Elements are the key to a comprehensive edit. Based on extensive research, we've chosen the most important story elements needed to tell a powerful story.