#205. How Story Structure Can Free Your Creativity and Help You Finish Your Novel
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Aug 5, 2025
Tired of getting stuck on Chapter One? Discover how story structure can actually unleash your creativity instead of stifling it! Dive into the myth of 'free writing' and learn why planning may be the key to finishing your novel. Explore how constraints can breed imaginative storytelling and why avoiding structure comes with hidden costs. Plus, hear inspiring transformations from writers who embraced frameworks, turning their chaotic drafts into powerful narratives. It's time to rethink the way you write!
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insights INSIGHT
Pantsing Leads to Rewriting Loops
Writers who try to 'just write' often get stuck revising early chapters endlessly.
Lack of structure traps them in a cycle of rewriting without progressing the plot.
insights INSIGHT
Structure Shapes Emotional Journey
Story structure is not about forcing predictability but shaping emotional journeys for readers.
Like music's invisible structure, good story structure guides without stifling originality.
insights INSIGHT
Constraints Fuel Creativity
Constraints foster creativity by forcing fresh thinking and innovation.
Story structure pushes writers to find unique ways for plot points, enhancing originality.
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The myth of "writing free" is keeping talented writers stuck on Chapter One. Here's why story structure actually enhances creativity—and how to use it to finally finish your novel.
You've been told that outlining kills creativity. That real writers don't need structure. That planning your novel will turn it into a formulaic mess. But what if everything you believe about story structure is wrong?
In this episode, I'm revealing why the writers who resist structure often end up trapped in the smallest creative box of all—and how embracing the right kind of framework can actually set your imagination free.
Tune in to hear me talk about:
[02:00] The romantic myth of the "pure" creative process and why the image of writers channeling pure inspiration without planning is actually sabotaging your novel writing journey
[02:22] What really happens when you try to "just write" without structure (and the predictable pattern that traps pantsers: from magical first chapters to tangled plots to endless rewrites of your opening pages)
[04:34] Why constraints breed creativity—and how having boundaries actually pushes you past the obvious into innovative storytelling
[05:43] The 5 hidden costs of avoiding story structure (aka what you're really sacrificing when you resist novel outlining)
[08:27] Why understanding story beats and plot points doesn't make your writing formulaic and how it actually makes your story more powerful
Plus, I share real examples of writers who went from structure-phobic to finishing their first novels in record time—including one creative writing student who completed 114,000 words in just 88 days after finally embracing the outlining process!
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