The Sixth Step – Decide on which of the ten story types, and how many you want to include in your story


The Ten Story Types are:

  • The quest
  • The rite of passage
  • The love story
  • The gift taken away
  • The unseen virtue
  • The irrepressible character
  • The deadly flaw
  • The debt that must be repaid
  • The cat and the mouse
  • The wanderer

 

Choose How Many and Which to Use:

  • Decide on which of the above story types you want to utilise in your story
  • Too few  (one or two) may produce a boring story
  • Too many (six to ten) will produce a confused story
  • Three to five may be just right
  • You also need to have the right mix of stories, and look for or invent connections or crossover points
  • Stories are better if they are archetype (original), they travel – not stereotype, stay at home
  • You must create a world that nobody knows, but they want to know about, or even be part of - make it original - this is your story