Zero To Book: The Story Core Test

Hey there!

Last week, I introduced a new Fiction Writing With AI (FWWAI) series:

Zero To Book

Each week we’ll move 1-step forward in the book writing process, using AI to help with character development, plot outline, chapter outlines, and ultimately writing each chapter. By the end of this series you will have first-draft of your book.

Before we start with today’s step, I wanted to give you a heads-up that we’ll be referencing three books in the Zero To Book series:

• “Take Off Your Pants” by Libbie Hawker

• “Save The Cat” by Blake Snyder

• “Story Grid” by Shawn Coyne

These books form a comprehensive novel writing toolkit informed by years of experience.

The authors' backgrounds range from script writing for Disney to 30 years of experience in the publishing industry to writing a best-selling novel. Each book tackles different aspects of the writing process, from initial plotting to editing, and they have distilled the novel writing process into simple, actionable steps.

To begin, we'll primarily reference Libbie Hawker's book, "Take Off Your Pants.”

In case you are wondering, Libbie isn’t suggesting you literally take off your pants. She is cleverly referencing a type of writer known as a “panster.” Or, one who writes by the seat of their pants rather than a “plotter” who plans or outlines their plot before they write. We will be plotting our way through our novel writing process.

Which brings us back to where we left off last week—the logline.

We breezed over it last time, but it’s a critical element to remind you of what Libbie calls your “Story Core.” So, we are going to slow down and take a look.

The 5 Story Core Elements

Every compelling story has the following five core elements:

1. A character

2. The character wants something

3. But something prevents them from getting what they want easily

4. So they struggles against that force

5. And either succeeds or fails

They are always present.

Think about every good story you’ve ever watched, read, or listened to and you’ll find the Story Core. If they’re missing, then you probably tuned out or put the book down.

Let’s compare a few “best-sellers.”

Good Story Vs. Bad Story

We’ll start with mine. ;-)

“Level Up” by Nicolas Cole

When a video game enthusiast turns their passion into a content writing empire, they must navigate the fine line between obsession and motivation to avoid a personal and professional crash.

Now, read through these “proven” story examples.

“Star Wars” by George Lucas

Luke Skywalker wants to become a Jedi, fight the Empire, and save the galaxy. But he is young, untrained, and the Empire is powerful, especially Darth Vader. So Luke trains hard, joins the Rebel Alliance, and battles Vader and the Empire. And he ultimately succeeds in redeeming his father Vader and defeating the Emperor.

“The Firm” by John Grisham

Mitch McDeere wants to succeed as a new lawyer at a prestigious law firm. But he discovers the firm is involved in illegal activities with the mob. So Mitch gathers evidence while trying to survive and find a way out. And he succeeds in bringing down the corrupt firm and escaping with his life and ethics intact.

“Honeymoon” by James Patterson

Nora Sinclair wants to marry a wealthy man and inherit his money. But an FBI agent suspects she has killed her previous husbands for their money. So Nora tries to charm and manipulate both her new husband and the FBI agent. And she fails as her murderous past is revealed and she dies in a confrontation with the FBI.

Let me ask you.

Do you want to read “Level Up” after reading my logline?

Probably not!

When I reread my logline from last week, I cringed.

I was excited about it.

But, then I asked myself “Would I want to read this?” Sadly, the answer was no. Not because I didn’t like the idea, but because it lacked the core elements of a story to make it exciting and entertaining. It lacks specificity in the desire, conflict, and resolution.

You need the Story Core to get people to read.

Plus, if you’re not excited to read your own story, why would you think anyone else would?!

You need to pass your own cringe test too.

Now, what are the chances you head over to Amazon to look into “Honeymoon” by James Patterson? I’d say better than 50%. Why? Because it’s got all 5 of the story elements which makes it interesting. (Here’s the link.)

So, if you’re in the same boat as me with a lackluster logline or idea, let’s use AI to help you get clear on your Story Core and remove the cringe.

The Story Core Test

We are going to do this in 3 steps.

Step 1: Train AI To Test Your Idea For The 5 Story Elements

Grab your working logline or story idea notes and plug them into the below script.

This prompt analyzes a logline for the 5 Story Core Elements. If all five elements are present, then AI will congratulate you on your story writing savvy. But, if you have room for improvement, AI will politely suggest a few refinements.

Here’s the prompt: