When I begin a writing project, it helps me to have a clear idea of the scope; I want a detailed list of everything that needs to be done, so I can make sure I don't overlook anything. And that's part of the reason I created by Process Breakdown template. But on a more conceptual level, I need some idea of the artistic space--or narrative space-- that needs to be filled.
We've looked at a handful of other media, and for the most part the process serves as an analogy, so that we have a clear idea of the underlying concept. But with respect to narrative space, I'd like to try and identify every nook and cranny, so you and I can refer back to this article when we're transfixed by the blank page. Knowing what needs to be done is the first step in doing something.
The first dimension of narrative space that comes to mind is Setting. A story must take place in some kind of general milieu: a specific time period and geographical location. How fine a level of detail do you need to support the story? Do we just need the broad strokes, or do we need an exhaustive account of every nuance? What is the social atmosphere like in this setting? Does the setting's history affect the plot? Is this place real or imaginary? Is the point of view character familiar with the setting or not?
Furthermore, there are specific settings for each scene in a story. What room of what building does each scene take place in, or does it occur outside? What objects are present that help characterize the location? What is the light like? What is the temperature or weather? Are there any characters present that have a special link to this location?
The idea for a story can originate anywhere in the narrative space, but I feel like it's good to have a solid grip on the setting before you go too far. Setting tells you a lot about what is possible in your narrative space--for example, certain things are possible in outer space that are not possible in 17th century Spain. Setting serves like the bedrock under the house that is your story.
After setting, the next most obvious dimension is Characters. Characters are the story. But each character is so much more than just the color of their hair and eyes, or the style of clothes they wear. Those details may be important for one character, but not another. Each character has one or several salient details about them, and it might be anything from their current occupation, to their psychological state, to their personal history. Some characters need a great amount of detail to become real, others are brought to life by a single image. Some characters are prime movers in the story, and some are just furniture. And the decision of how many characters are in a story is an important one as well.
And characters are not static. They change. Character Arc is one of the most important dimensions of narrative space. How does the character change, or refuse to change? Their arc might be positive, negative, or flat, and it might affect only them, or it could effect their family, or it could rock their entire civilization to its core. It depends who the characters are.
The Plot is an obvious dimension of narrative space. What happens in the story? What's the premise? How will the tension throttle up and down over the course of the story? How will it end? How long will it be? Will there be subplots? How many? How will they affect the main plot? Is this a stand-alone tale, or part of a broader group of stories?
Each scene can be thought of as a room with an entrance and an exit. The Point of view character walks into the room at the beginning of the scene. Other characters might already be there, or not. Things happen, and one way or another, the character must find a way to walk through the exit, or the story fails to proceed. What kind of rooms are in your story house? How do they connect to one another, and how do the characters move through them?
Point of View is a dimension of narrative space, a spectrum that ranges from narrative intimacy (first person) to narrative perspective (omniscient). Where you place the reader on that spectrum determines what parts of the story house they can see, and how they will interpret things. If we see the story through the eyes of a character, everything we see will be tinged with that character's judgments and emotions. And the reader's location on this spectrum can change from scene to scene as the story progresses. You can put us where we need to be in order to see events a certain way.
Props are yet another dimension of narrative space. What objects come into play over the course of the story? Are vehicles essential, or do we skip all the travel? Are there any MacGuffins (objects that are the objective of a quest), and what are they? Why are they sought after? Do they affect or "unlock" anything else in the story, person place or thing? Props are the keys to the different rooms in the story house. They may not be literal keys, but they need to "unlock" some chain of events, or they have no reason to exist.
Story Argument or Theme is another dimension, and it has close ties to both character arc and plot. Whatever happens, whoever it happens to, good fiction has some kind of unifying theme or subject that allows the author to make some kind of statement. That statement might have a lot of gravity, or it might be relatively trite. There is plenty of room for all kinds of statements, both heavy- and light-hearted. Not every story has to be Requiem for a Dream. People need stories like Home Alone, Back to the Future, and The Running Man. But these stories still make some kind of statement. All stories do, whether their creators intend them to or not. Remember: Intention is the defining characteristic of art, so it follows that all decisions should be intentional. Make sure that your story is making the argument you want.
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Those are all the dimensions of narrative space that I can think of. And now that I take a step back, I find they closely mirror all my plotting templates. So hopefully, by using the resources I've provided, you can explore the narrative space of your stories with confidence.
Think I missed something? Post a comment below!
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