Forbidden Formats: The Risks and Rewards of Uncommon Narrative Structures

By Bonnie Randall

Part of The How They Do It Series

JH: Not every story needs to be told in the Three Act Structure. Bonnie Randall shares three examples of narrative structures that defy convention—and still work.

Every fiction writer from veteran to novice knows there’s a collection of “don’ts” when writing.

Don’t use adverbs

Don’t use adjectives

Don’t use any tag other than ‘said’.

Don’ts abound in narrative structures, too, (how the story is delivered). Nevertheless, this summer I’ve read several bodies of fiction that used ‘Forbidden Formats’ with outstanding results. Let’s unpack a few and analyze why they worked—and how they can be utilized in your fiction.

10 Alternative Types of Short Fiction

By Rachelle Shaw

Part of the Focus on Short Fiction Series

JH: Not all short fiction is a "short story" as we know it. Rachelle Shaw shares a round-up of different short fiction options and structures.

As outlined in the introductory post for this series, a typical short story follows the kind of structure we’ve all come to know and love when we think of fiction: a tale with a beginning, middle and end. And while they only capture a single event in time, traditional short stories still include an overall plot while fostering growth or change for the characters within them. However, it’s worth noting there are other options in the world of short fiction, particularly if that setup isn’t your cup of tea.