Skip to content

The Craft Behind the Story Read online

Both books Core Reference Search

Reference contents

Front Matter

Title Page
Copyright

Introduction

Contents
This Volume and the Guide
How the Chapters Are Built
The Household Novel

Chapter 1 · The Purposes of a Scene

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Scenery Problem
Definitions and Boundaries
Why a Scene Must Have a Job
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Scene
The Scene–Summary Continuum
Diagnostic Method
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
The Scene Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application

Chapter 2 · Scene and Sequel

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Two Halves of Narrative Motion
Definitions and Boundaries
Why Causality Carries the Weight
The Six Beats — and a Proposed Seventh
The Principle of Compression
Interruption, Deferral, and the Shapes of the Chain
Diagnostic Method — the ten tests
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
Scene and Sequel Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — What the Engine Cannot Tell You

Chapter 3 · The Dialogue Exchange

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Transcript Problem
Definitions and Boundaries
Why Dialogue Is Not Speech
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Exchange
Text and Subtext — The Two Channels
Diagnostic Method — the ten tests
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
Dialogue Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application

Chapter 4 · The Descriptive Detail

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Infinite Field
Definitions and Boundaries
Why Selection Is Already Interpretation
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Detail
Denotation and Connotation
Diagnostic Method — the ten tests
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
The Descriptive Detail Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against the Tyranny of the Purposeful Detail

Chapter 5 · The Transition

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Join Problem
Definitions and Boundaries
Why the Crossing Costs Something
The Techniques
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Crossing
Anchor and Drift
Diagnostic Method
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
Transitions Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application

Chapter 6 · The Chapter Break

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Segmentation Problem
Definitions and Boundaries
Why the Break Matters
The Ending Types
The Principle of Proportion
Proposition and Payoff
Diagnostic Method
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
The Chapter Break Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application

Chapter 7 · Backstory and Flashback

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Cost of Leaving the Present
Definitions and Boundaries
Why the Past Is Expensive
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Cutaway
Choosing the Register of the Past
Diagnostic Method — the ten tests
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
The Cutaway Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against the Tyranny of Forward Motion

Chapter 8 · Non-linear and Multi-timeline Architecture

Full Treatment

Chapter 9 · The Opening Pages

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Threshold Problem
Definitions and Boundaries
Why Beginnings Carry Disproportionate Weight
The Contracts
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Opening
The Attack — In Medias Res, Orientation, and the Repertoire of Gambits
Diagnostic Method
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
Openings Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application

Chapter 10 · The Prologue

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Problem of the Second Beginning
Definitions and Boundaries
Why the Separation Must Be Argued
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Separated Unit
Distance and Closing
Diagnostic Method
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
The Prologue Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application

Chapter 11 · The Middle

Full Treatment

Chapter 12 · Arc and Theme

Full Treatment

Chapter 13 · The Viewpoint Shift

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Allocation Problem
Definitions and Boundaries
Why Viewpoint Allocation Is a Structural Decision
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Grant
The Grant — Architectures of Viewpoint
Diagnostic Method
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
The Viewpoint Shift Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application

Chapter 14 · The Subplot

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Second Story
Definitions and Boundaries
Why a Second Chain Costs
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity at Book Scale
Braiding and Convergence
Diagnostic Method — the ten tests
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
The Subplot Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against the Pruned Novel

Chapter 15 · The Reveal

Full Treatment

Chapter 16 · The Ending

Front Matter and Contents
Introduction — The Problem of the Last Page
Definitions and Boundaries
Why Endings Carry Disproportionate Weight
The Domains of Purpose
Multiplicity — The Economy of the Ending
Earned and Unearned
Diagnostic Method
Failure Patterns
Worked Analyses
Endings Across Forms
Revision Checklist
Studio Work
Glossary
Sources Cited
Further Reading
Coda — Against Mechanical Application — and the End of the Book

Chapter 17 · Series and Genre

Full Treatment

Chapter 18 · The Structural Edit

Full Treatment

Reference · online edition

The Craft Behind the Story: Reference

Read by chapter, follow the section links, or search both books.

Start reading →

Front Matter2 sections
Introduction4 sections
Chapter 1 · The Purposes of a Scene17 sections
Chapter 2 · Scene and Sequel17 sections
Chapter 3 · The Dialogue Exchange17 sections
Chapter 4 · The Descriptive Detail17 sections
Chapter 5 · The Transition17 sections
Chapter 6 · The Chapter Break17 sections
Chapter 7 · Backstory and Flashback17 sections
Chapter 8 · Non-linear and Multi-timeline Architecture1 section
Chapter 9 · The Opening Pages17 sections
Chapter 10 · The Prologue17 sections
Chapter 11 · The Middle1 section
Chapter 12 · Arc and Theme1 section
Chapter 13 · The Viewpoint Shift17 sections
Chapter 14 · The Subplot17 sections
Chapter 15 · The Reveal1 section
Chapter 16 · The Ending17 sections
Chapter 17 · Series and Genre1 section
Chapter 18 · The Structural Edit1 section

Attila Kulik · About the books