Description

Send a text

Story structure is one issue fiction editors love to disagree about. At one end of the spectrum, some promote rigid templates, while others say "anything goes."

In this episode, I cover ...

• the problem with rigid approaches to story structure
• why I dislike Save the Cat! and the Hero's Journey
• why you should think about story structure but not get hung up about it

Enjoy!

Links from today's ep!

• Hustle culture versus the Literary Academy: https://www.thenarrativecraft.com/post/two-cultures-in-publishing-hustle-culture-vs-the-literary-academy
• How universal is the Save the Cat beat sheet?: https://www.thenarrativecraft.com/post/the-save-the-cat-beat-sheet-a-cultural-anthropological-approach
• Club Ed course – Plot and Story Structure: https://www.clubedfreelancers.com/product/editing-for-plot-and-story-structure-sep-8-oct-5-2025/
• Romancing the Beat: https://www.campfirewriting.com/learn/romancing-the-beat
• The Hero's Journey: https://www.jcf.org/learn/joseph-campbell-heros-journey
• The Heroine's Journey: https://gailcarriger.com/books/hj/

Support the show

Queer-owned business. AI-free editing and consulting. Conscious language advocate.

💎Book an editorial assessment: https://www.secondworldeditorial.com/book-an-editorial-assessment

🌈Second World Editorial: Speculative fiction editing and writing: https://www.secondworldeditorial.com

🎓The Narrative Craft: Cultural anthropology developmental editing and consultancy: https://www.thenarrativecraft.com/

💎Need a transcript? Here you go: https://thefreelancer.buzzsprout.com/

🥰 Check out my fiction newsletter for stories, opinions, and tips on how to survive publishing without exploiting yourself or others: https://thenarrativecraft.kit.com/e8debf1dd5