Just wondering if there is a particular or common story structure I can refer to as a template, to be more exact; what needs to happen just before the final 'battle/confrontation' scene? Thanks
Presumably, everything the big battle needs to conclude for you, since you should never have a confrontation without it meaning something. It's no good marching up to the baddy and yelling, "You killed my father!" when that's not scheduled to happen until after the battle. Stories are organic and the small parts and linking scenes and details grow out of themselves. If you have all your plot up to the point before the confrontation, then you should be able to look at it and see how they get there. It's all just logic. There's no pre-written guide to your story. It'd be like bringing out a self-help manual customised for every single unwritten novel in the universe, and handy as those would be, sadly they don't exist.
Before the final battle/confrontation, we just need to know WHY the confrontation is taking place. We have to understand the motivations of both sides of the conflict, and we should be emotionally invested in one or the other. Otherwise, we, the readers, don't give a crap about the final battle. So, make us understand both sides. Make us understand what's at stake. That's pretty much all you NEED to do - the rest is up to you.
Yeah i kinda get that. I know the details and logic, but I know there are also classic story structures. The simplest being 'beginning-middle-end'. So in my head I always had it that before the final 'event' the main character needs to have lost everything right? Or is there a bit after or before this? Apologies if I wasn't clear before.
Before the final event I think you've got the right idea the MC needs to have lost everything or at least feel like they did. After the final event - end the book. I know that sounds basic but you wouldn't believe how many books sort of tapper off a few chapters later. Let me just state my opinion. Those ending are terrible. You have only a very few scenes to tie all your story lines into a neat little bow after the final event.
The common structure is opening, conflict/crisis, resolution. If you want something more detailed, Watt's Writing a Novel & Getting it Published outlines an eight-point arc: Stasis Trigger The quest Surprise Critical choice Climax Reversal Resolution Many of the greatest stories follow guidelines, but there are plenty that do not and somehow manage to work.
I was just about to post this one too, but now I don't have to. I can find it nice too sometimes to lean back on something to know my story follow a logical system, but I haven't been looking at this one fo a while now.
