The Dent
The Problem
You need a simple, straightforward plan for directing your words as you write. A short form would be the best way to practice.
The Forces Involved
Short stories are notoriously hard to write well.
Modern writing education tends to focus on novelty and clever technique. Most short stories offered as examples are one-trick ponies.
Attempting to emulate these academic exemplars tends to result in dull, colorless vignettes that wander without purpose.
Outside of academia and MFA programs, however, most audiences have simpler tastes: they want colorful stories with vivid action, unexpected twists, and a satisfying ending.
Lester Dent, author of the Doc Savage novels, was a superstar of the 1930s pulp magazines and pocket novels market. He offered a simple formula for writing consistently successful short stories.
Therefore:
The Solution
Plan and write in “Dents”.
Dent originally conceived of this structure for a 6,000 word story, broken into four 1,500 word quarters, that allows for exciting and near-continuous action.
Preparation:
Answer these questions:
- Who is your hero?
- Who is your villain?
- What is the villain seeking?
- How does the villain murder or menace his opponents? (Get creative!)
- Where will the story take place?
1st Quarter: Setup
Hook the reader in the first line or as soon as possible by introducing the hero and presenting him with immediate trouble.
Introduce all your supporting characters as soon as possible.
As the trouble unfolds, hint at a mystery, menace, or larger problem that the hero must solve.
Demonstrate the hero’s skills and abilities as he investigates the mystery.
The hero’s efforts land him in a physical conflict near the end of this quarter.
End the quarter with a surprise twist.
2nd Quarter: Complications
Reeling from the twist, the hero encounters more grief and trouble.
Being heroic, the hero struggles onward.
The hero’s struggles lead him into another physical conflict.
End the second quarter with another surprise twist.
3rd Quarter: Crisis
Reeling from the twist, the hero encounters yet more grief and trouble.
Now the hero begins to make real progress in solving the mystery.
He corners the villain or a lieutenant in another physical conflict.
End the third quarter with a devastating plot twist. This should be an enormous setback to the hero.
4th Quarter: Resolution
Bury the hero in trouble. All should seem lost.
Using his own skill and ability, the hero extricates himself from this predicament and takes control.
During the physical conflict that follows, the remaining mysteries are revealed or cleared up. Save the big central mystery for this moment if possible.
Ensure that the hero is ultimately responsible for the villain’s demise, not accident or circumstance.
End with a final surprise or twist, revealing some hitherto unsuspecting thing about the villain or the treasure he sought.
Close the final line with a snappy punchline that will give the reader a warm feeling of satisfaction.
Revision strategy:
When revising a story written with this structure, ensure that each section:
- has suspense
- displays clear menace to the hero
- follows logically from what happened before.
Next Steps
- Plan Ahead
- Mise-en-place
- Just Write
- Revise Later