The structure of a piece is often defined by the genre. In an academic essay, we expect a thesis towards the beginning, followed by evidence that supports that thesis. In a scientific research paper, there is an introduction, methods, results and discussion. Most fiction is made up of these structures and units too. For example, stories often follow a description, dialogue, action, description, dialogue, action structure. In a travel writing narrative, you might not have much (or any) dialogue although you will note in the samples that the writers have tried to integrate dialogue moments.<\/p>\n
What propels the story is more specifically called plot. Elizabeth Irvin Ross in Write Now!<\/em> describes the most common plot as following the 4Cs: Conflict, Complication, Climax and Conclusion.<\/p>\n In Bird\u2019s tale about trying to find Estes Park, the conflict is that she doesn\u2019t know how to get there. She has to rely on a particular local (Mr. Chalmers) who she doesn\u2019t trust to find the way, leading to the journey itself, a series of one complication after another until she leads the next day\u2019s entry with the story\u2019s Climax: \u201cWe never reached Estes Park.\u201d The Conclusion is the meandering denouement of them returning to Longmount. The important thing is not just this bit, but recognizing that the whole of Bird\u2019s travelogue is made up of 4Cs units. There are multiple Conflict, Complication, Climax and Conclusion moments clicked together like Legos. Most stories follow suit.<\/p>\n Modern motion pictures have added some interstitial moments into Ross\u2019s 4Cs, but they still follow this pattern. If you want to be a world famous screenwriter, just pick up a copy of Save The Cat by Blake Snyder, and you will be good to go. In the book, Snyder not only describes the plot structure but the number of pages in the script one should devote to each part:<\/p>\n\n