Atomic stories & an app update 💜
My favourite framework for outlining scenes from The Story Grid, and what's changed in the latest version of First Draft Pro
Atomic stories
There are a lot of incredible books on writing, each with own set of tools to help us get better at our craft. One of my favourites is The Story Grid, by Shawn Coyne.
The Story Grid helps you to analyse your stories with an editor’s eye, figure out what's working, what isn’t, and why. And possibly most important of all: how to fix it.
When I first read it, there was this bit about the atoms that make up each beat of a scene that changed everything for me about outlining individual scenes. My constant problem with scenes was knowing if I’d done enough, and if the scene was doing the work it needed to do.
I recommend reading this entire book (it’s full of nuggets), but this is how I outline scenes as a result of what I learned from it:
Three atomic pairs
Just like your full novel project contains three acts, Coyne explains that that same structure holds at the scene level as well.
Each part has two story atoms inside it. I like to think of them as atomic pairs.
Beginning — Setup & Catalyst [25% of the scene]
Middle — Complication & Crisis [50% of the scene]
End — Climax & Resolution [25% of the scene]
It’s clear to see how this structure ensures that tension ramps up over the course of a scene. I use it to make sure that enough is happening, and that the pacing from the set-up of the scene to the resolution works.
But that’s not the part of the framework that I love the most. That bit comes next.
The atomic particles
Coyne also digs in to the make-up of the catalyst, complication, and crisis in a way that makes it so much simpler to outline a scene effectively.
Catalysts have two types. They are either causal, or co-incidental. A causal catalyst happens as a result of something your protagonist did. A co-incidental catalyst is more like an act of god.
Why is this important? Because you want to make sure that you don’t have only one type of catalyst in every scene. It’s more interesting if you find a way to alternate or mix them up a bit.
Complications in your scene are the first ramp up of tension following the scene catalyst. They always resolve in one of two things: either your character will take action, or they will realise something that changes how they move through the rest of the scene.
Crisis moments are right before the climax, when the tension is ramped all the way up. But Coyne shows us that the end of every crisis moment results in a choice. And that that choice is quite specific. Either, the protagonist will have to choose between two bad options (the lessor of two evils), or they will have to choose between two equally good options that are mutually exclusive — so they can’t have both (a trade off).
How has this changed my outlining?
All through a story we’re essentially just playing with tension. Ramping it up and releasing a bit, and ramping it up again. What I love about this framework is that it gives you the tools to see how to execute a very specific tension goal in the scene.
If I’m outlining a scene where I want to increase tension, I find that a causal catalyst, a complication resulting in a character action, and a crisis resulting between two bad options is a recipe for maximum tension ramp up.
A coincidental catalyst, on the other hand, is a problem that needs solving, and it can be something terrible. But, it’s not also the character’s fault. There’s less opportunity for angst.
Similarly, a complication that results in a character revelation feels like progress. Even if the revelation is bad news and ultimately increases the overall tension in the story, the discovery feels like a small win. So, that’s a small tension release.
A choice between two mutually exclusive good options is bittersweet, but far less bleak than a lessor of two evils choice.
In short: I think Coyne’s framework helps us to identify what we need to do in a scene in order to make it feel the way we want it to feel to the reader. And knowing this helps me plan for that feeling in advance.
App improvements (v 1.0.71)
Version 1.0.71 is one of those updates where we’ve done a ton of work, and if we did our job correctly, you won’t notice any of it (like really good stage lighting)! Much of this work was to set up structures that will allow us to do a ✨full dark mode✨ later in the year (so keep an eye out for that!)
Things you might actually notice:
Scrollbars on project settings — When project descriptions are long, you can now scroll down and your settings are not cut-off. Crucially this means you no longer have to use a browser zoom work around to find the delete button for a project.
Improved UX on smaller screens — We made a big change to how page zooming is handled to make the app more user-friendly on smaller laptop screens (13”) and on iPad in landscape mode.
Left/right scroll improvements on the outline — We tweaked the left/right scrolling so that when your mouse is in the scroll zone, it doesn’t disable other buttons near to it. Because that was annoying :)
Once again, a massive thank-you to everyone on a paid subscription, you literally make these improvements possible and we all love you.
Feedback and feature requests
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