Remember these are the parts of any story.
- Set up
- Inciting Incident
- Reaction
- Goal
- Conflict
- Climax
- Resolution
- (Option 1) Epilogue
- (Option 2) Set up
- (Option 2) Inciting Incident
You can use these both for analysis and for structuring your own writing.
That's all well and good, but I recommend taking an extra step. For each of the story beats it's a good idea to make a subdivision. The idea is to make each part of the story it's own mini story. If you do that each part will flow to the other in a natural manner; the opposite would be for the story beats to just clash into one and the other without any rhyme or reason. Or even worse it will look as if the story is just happening.
These are the parts that you should use for each of the story beats:
*Normalcy: This is the usual scenario. The way things are daily, or commonly. In each of the story beats, even those like the conflict have a moment of breathing and tranquility. This moment can serve to establish how things usually are. In breathing moments between high stake situations this can serve to develop characters and their relationships.
*Problem: Well, this is the thing that disrupts the order. It can come as a menace, as a threat, as a need, as a big change. If the story is in its early stages it can be something small that can be easily solved. Or it can be the start of a problem that will continue throughout the narrative. In a moment that is already tense, this will be a change for the worse.
*Reaction: This part will depend on the nature of the problem. In case the story is character driven it will also depend on the characterization. Depending on the part of the story this could serve to showcase character development. As it is different how someone would react in different moments.
*Goal: Once the character has their reaction to the problem or need, they will have a goal to reach. This is the plan of action. How will they confront the threat? What do they have to do to reach their goals? And so on.
*Conflict: This is the part in which the character will find roadblocks. This is the opposition. The moment that a confrontation happens.
*Climax: This is the highest point of tension.
*Epiphany: After all is said and done. Once the conflict is over the character can have a moment of introspection. This again works for character driven narratives. But it can be something for a group like a town learning something.
*Change: This is a consequence of the epiphany. After a new understanding, discovery or knowledge is gained the character or characters will experience change. A good way to develop a character is to do it throughout the story in small amounts in a way that fits them.
Remember these are mini story beats for the story beats.
