Welcome "Behind the Scenes" of The Other Side of the Ocean
A newsletter dedicated to storytelling techniques and structure, including the structure of sections 1-4
This post explores the storytelling structure behind sections 1-4 of The Other Side of the Ocean. You can also learn more about sections 5-8 and sections 9-12.
Dear readers and writers,
Welcome Behind the Scenes of our Collaborative Tales!
This subsection of the Collaborative Tales newsletter is dedicated to helping readers and writers learn about storytelling through Behind the Scenes posts.
These posts provide readers with insights into the storytelling techniques, strategies and structures that came together behind the scenes to shape the story The Other Side of the Ocean (which you’re welcome to read and participate in shaping, too!).
If you’d like to learn more about the structure and development that take place behind the scenes, or tips on storytelling in general, we welcome you to subscribe and read on!
Creating a Story Outline for The Other Side of the Ocean
How do you tell a really engaging story that people enjoy reading, and in which characters grow and develop, and wrap it up neatly, while also leaving room to shape and develop the story alongside readers and their feedback?
That is the question.
And here is the answer!
Table of Contents
Creating an Outline Aligned with the 15 Beats of Story Structure
The 3-Act Structure
The Story Structure of The Other Side of the Ocean: Sections 1-4
Summary: Sections 1-4
Creating an Outline Aligned with the 15 Beats of Story Structure
When I created the outline for The Other Side of the Ocean, I followed an approach described in a fantastic book that not only helps support great storytelling but is fun to read too; it’s called Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. Its recent companion novel, Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel, is just as invigorating to read.
Both books outline three acts that, in total, contain 15 beats (or plot points) that take place in most of the stories we know and love.
Let’s start with the first act (or, generally, third) of a story. From my understanding, the books’ author, Jessica Brody, says that these great stories:
start with an introduction to the character’s world as it currently is,
enable us to see the problems and challenges the character faces, as well as their own weaknesses,
introduce us to the story’s theme,
and then plummet the character—and we, the readers—into a new world, either figuratively or physically.
For example, in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy quite literally enters the new world of Narnia, while in Anne of Green Gables, Anne is still on the planet Earth, but now she is living at Green Gables, adjusting to life as part of Marilla and Matthew’s family.
There’s a lot more to it, and there are so many other things from my experience and from outside of these books that are shaping this story, but those 15 beats are the ones I’ve kept an eye on while drafting an outline of The Other Side of the Ocean to help ensure Hailey will address her problems and learn and grow and flourish, while also creating room for you, fellow readers, to share your insights, ideas and feedback for shaping the story’s direction too.
The 3-Act Structure
Before we continue, it helps to pause and study something called the three-act structure, which you may have heard is often used for screenplays.
Generally speaking, the three-act structure refers to the concept of a story being divided into three parts, or acts.
Act one sets up the story.
Act two develops the story and raises the stakes.
Act three provides the story resolution.
You could choose to structure a story this way.
In these Behind the Scenes posts, we look at The Other Side of the Ocean in three parts: sections 1-4, sections 5-8, and sections 9-12. It happens to be that these three sections of the story pretty much align with the three-act structure, but that may be because the 15 beats that Jessica describes—and that inspire the story outline for The Other Side of the Ocean—also align with a three-act structure (Jessica mentions them in the descriptions of the 15 beats).
The Story Structure of The Other Side of the Ocean: Sections 1-4
For those who are writing their own stories, want to write or would just like to learn, we’d like to share with you the structure behind the scenes you’ve been reading so far.
Sections 1-4 align with beats #1-5: Opening Image, Theme Stated, Setup, Catalyst and Debate.
Note: For a more detailed understanding of the purpose of each of the four beats below, read Jessica Brody’s descriptions of the “beats” (each of the four beats below is hyperlinked to lead you to the beat description) before reviewing the corresponding The Other Side of the Ocean scene summary.
Beat #1: Opening Image (section 1): We meet Hailey at the counsellor’s office, where we learn about her family, her friends and the problems she is facing.
Beat #2: Theme Stated (section 1): “Anxiety, hypochondria, they’re powerful. It takes energy to manage them.”
Beat #3: Setup (section 2 and section 3, although really sections 1-4): We see Hailey as she moves about her world at school and at home, navigating her health and her relationships.
Beat #4: Catalyst (section 1): Hailey’s doctor recommends that, in order to support her health, she learn more about her family history, which she is scared to do as it would disrupt the comfortable environment she has at home.
Beat #5: Debate (section 4): Hailey isn’t sure what to do—does she ask her parents about their family history and disrupt the comfortable relationships and home life they share, or should she do nothing, and risk having more episodes? When Hailey plans to approach her parents and suffers another heart rate episode in the process, she decides she won’t ask them—she decides to find out quietly on her own.
Summary: Sections 1-4
In summary, in sections 1-4 of the story (beats #1-5, or act 1), we learn about:
what our protagonist wants
the obstacles she faces
what she’s doing to get what she wants
the story theme
Also, we:
see what our protagonist’s world is typically like
arrive at a “new world”
We hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at structuring The Other Side of the Ocean. If you have any particular questions about storytelling and story structures, you’re welcome to share them in the comments below!
Thank you for reading and subscribing. We hope you enjoy the story and look forward to hearing your feedback!
If you’re interested in learning more about writing, you’re welcome to subscribe to the Doing the Write Thing newsletter too for monthly writing tips and Q&As from publishing professionals.
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