Next Level Plot Structure: How to Write a Better Novel Using Advanced Storytelling Techniques

by K.M. Weiland

Elevate Your Storytelling with Expert Plot Structure

Unlock the secrets of compelling storytelling with Next Level Plot Structure, a brand-new guide from K.M. Weiland, author of the popular Structuring Your Novel. This comprehensive resource delves deep into the intricacies of plot structure, revealing the rich vein of narrative techniques and philosophical underpinnings that have shaped storytelling throughout history.Delve beyond plot beats to explore deeper symmetry and symbolism in story.Discover how every plot beat and scene is composed of two mirroring halves, contributing to the narrative arc.Introduce readers to chiastic structure, a mesmerizing mirroring technique that unites the two halves of a story.Master the dual beats of each major plot point to create dramatic scene arcs.Explore innovative ways to structure scenes to keep readers engaged and eager to turn the page.Examine the symbolic significance of a story's four "worlds" and their influence on plot and character arcs.Evade formulaic story structures by understanding the deeper meaning and purpose of each plot element.
Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, Next Level Plot Structure provides invaluable insights and practical techniques to help you take your storytelling to new heights.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2024

About the author

K.M. Weiland is the award-winning and internationally published author of acclaimed writing guides such as Structuring Your Novel, Creating Character Arcs, and Writing Archetypal Character Arcs. She writes historical and speculative fiction and mentors authors on her award-winning website Helping Writers Become Authors.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm such a sucker for writing craft books! I appreciate everything that K. M. Weiland puts into the world, so when her new book came out, I grabbed it. I'd never seen a plotting book that focused heavily on chiastic structure. That's what sold me.

Chiastic structure is an age-old technique that I recognized from the Bible, but it spans a range of literary traditions over time. It's where the first half of the story mirrors the second half in such a way that the book has a pleasing symmetry, and the story feels complete. The midpoint, as the mirror moment (made popular by James Scott Bell) has no pair but instead mirrors itself.

I was surprised to read about how each of the plot points has a chiastic structure within itself, and how scenes have a type of symmetry to them as well. It's helpful to look at structure like this, as a series of questions and answers or openings and closings.

One day, I will write a novel and pour all of my knowledge into it...just kidding! For now, at least, I will just read writing craft books like the junkie I am.

[Kamryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must-read for any serious novelests

I’ve loved all of Weiland’s books for years now, and this one is particularly incredible. She does such an incredible job at distilling complicated concepts into examples and action points. I’ve taken detailed notes and I’m sure I’ll reference them every time I start a new project—this book is worth returning to study again. It’s really an MFA class in a book. If you’re serious about novelwriting, I couldn’t recommend this (or Weiland’s other books) more.

[Melanie Pienaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Kim Catanzarite · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had my brain sparking with ideas for my next novel. K.M. Weiland is an amazing teacher of story structure. If you want to delve into the mechanics of novel writing, reach for one of her books!

[S.C. Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this a while ago but forgot to post my review.

I think there was some repetition from another book I've read by the same author and there was also a little of that in the current book as well. All in all, it is useful and I would recommend this book for anyone who needs help with structure and plot.

[Julie]

A new release from one of my favourite craft-of-writing authors, I bought this a few days after it came out. As the title implies, this is not your standard 101-level plotting book. Instead, Weiland covers five main areas that you won’t really see talked about in most basic plotting books. First, chiastic story structure (or “chiasmus”), essentially a mirroring technique for plot structure. In poetry, chiasmus can refer to an A, B, B, A rhyming scheme; in story structure it means that the plot mirrors itself around the midpoint, so for example there are resonances between the hook and the resolution, or the first plot point and the third plot point. Weiland goes through each set of pairs and how you can use those resonances to make your story more satisfying for the reader. In part 2, Weiland goes through the two halves of each major plot point (inciting incident, first plot point, midpoint, third plot point, climactic moment). In part 3, she discusses how to best employ the four “story worlds”: the normal world of the first act, the adventure world of the second act, the underworld of the third act, and the new normal of the resolution. She wraps up the book with a section on next-level plot questions (like “how perfect does the story’s timing need to be?”) and a section on scene structure. I thought the first section was the most interesting, but I like pretty much everything that Weiland writes, and this book was no exception. Another great addition to my Weiland collection.

[Roger Alix-Gaudreau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story Structure Is An Author’s Friend

A useful exploration of the idea that the main beats in traditional story structure mirror and reinforce one another. I’d previously studied the idea that when a story’s ending mirrors or echoes the beginning, it can add a lot of power. But, I’d not considered how that extends to the other components of that traditional story structure.

The author also offers a brief discussion of some other structure topics — e.g. different ways to think about the two-part “scene/sequel” view of scenes, and the idea of composing multiple scenes into narratively-linked sequences. These were useful, but I think there was room to expand these ideas even more.

[Bill Hackenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

K.M. Weiland has spent years thinking about and capturing the essential elements of story. Her approach to story structure is clear, comprehensive, and practical. It presents a solid foundation for how to build a story that works and satisfies readers.
This latest book, Next Level Plot Structure, goes even deeper than Structuring Your Novel. I recommend both.
Her insights on chiastic (mirrored) structural turning points in the story are a solid approach to creating a sense of resonance for the reader. This all pairs well with her books on character arcs and story theme.
I'm glad to have them all on my shelf.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the best! Truly delivers for writers that already have a story in mind and want to make it better/let it shine. Very helpful for me. Maybe for writers that don't have a story in mind yet a bit to theoretical. Then again, if you just take a book/movie you know very well you can also use that to make the theory stick.

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love any books about plot and how to parse out different pieces of a novel. My hope is that one day I can crack the structure and write a whip-smart book. Maybe one day. Anyway, Weiland is great, and any aspiring writer should pick up all her books. This one is particularly good for those who have read all the others and want to go a bit deeper.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this in audio and it was excellent (once I got over missing hearing the author's voice from her podcast). Lots of really good tips on symmetry of beats, scene structure, etc. I'm not the best at staying focused while listening, so I know I missed some things --- definitely worth relistening to.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

K. M. Weiland truly understands story and scene structure. This is a no-nonsense look at plot structures and story arcs that work. It teaches the structure without becoming formulaic. A must read for writers that struggle with 'what comes next'.

[John Wegener · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great extension on plot structure and how stories tie together. I recommend every author, or want to be author, to read it.

[Saulo]

A great book on writing, great insights and a completely new approach (at least for me), which though seems very natural and makes sense all the way.
Recommended reading.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine this as the DLC of Structuring Your Novel.

[Charly Troff (JustaReadingMama) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good writing craft book, though I like her basic structure book more. The chiastic information was the most interesting.

[Mathew Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

fundamental to mastering any area of life.

[Jenni Howell]

Outstanding!!! Seeing stories as chiastic broke open something deep inside my brain 😍

[Raymond Paquette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a panther and my plot structure is usually imposed after the fact, but with Weiland’s book I can see the structure that is in my story and use it to correct the mistakes my pantsing made.

[Janet Sketchley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful, covering a lot of ground: the connections between significant points in the two halves of a story, plot structure overall, as well as scene structure and some FAQs. I appreciated the questions raised in the chapters to get writers thinking about how to deepen connections between plot points and to make the key points deeper and richer.

[Nikki Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a follower of K.M. Weiland’s writing resources for ten years now, and I appreciate this deeper dive into plot structure. I love how Weiland shares how much she’s grown as an author and how she has learned so much about plot structure over the years of weaving her writing guides together. In this installment, she lays out the three act structure and shows how different story beats mirror each other and offer an overarching symmetry in a chiastic structure. She also discusses scene structure and how to use them in a way to keep readers flipping pages, and so much more. I count this as a valuable guide as an aspiring author and highly recommend Weiland’s other writing guides, especially Creating Character Arcs.

[Monica T. Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goes deeper into the major plot points of a novel, answering questions I've had recently. Extremely helpful!