Story frameworks

[browncoat]

Hi, Mr. Mike!

I have seen a lot of How To Be A Writer type advice about using the Hero's Journey, "story circles" and "plot wheels" and other kinds of algorithms (for lack of a better term). We are instructed that a story must have the described steps or elements or else it fails, it's not a story at all.

Do you work according to any of these frameworks? Any thoughts on them?

(I am skeptical about them, myself, but you know more than me!)

Happy New Year!

[Rothgo]

I'm not sure that Mike writes to a given structure, though I do recall that for he used the structure of Conrad's Rescue as a base for The Ice Schooner.
There is some general structural chat in this thread however:
https://www.multiverse.org/forum/the...r-plot-formula

[browncoat]

Oh, nifty! Thanks for this.

I have read about his "Three Days to Save the World!" idea, but that seems to be more guiding principles than formula. Still interesting, though!

I was reading about the Hero's Journey, and Dan Harmon's (Community) "story circles," where he said there were (i think) eight steps or pieces and if a plot doesn't have one of them then the story doesn't work and he throws it out and starts over. I have my doubts about such an approach, but I also know when to ask my betters!