I am not a fan of formula writing. I don’t like neat little bows tied at the end of stories, or stories where I can guess every reveal before the actual reveal.

Neither do I enjoy stories that change course without warrant because the writer can’t keep their focus, or because the writer lacks a clear idea of where the story should begin and where it should end.

I prefer working a story that is structured but allows the plot and characters room to develop. Often when I’m writing I treat my work as a living document and allow it time to mature, but I don’t change the direction of the story or its intent. My rule is that everything must serve the story, not my momentary muses. As you will hear from many writers, you must always be willing to throw away your best writing, even your best ideas, if they don’t serve the story.

A lot of English teachers will cite the Bible as the main source for ideas that every fiction writer must draw upon. Other people will argue that you must use Campbell’s heroes journey as your template. My feeling is that every hero has a journey, but to rigidly follow a template leaves you telling the same story over and over again.

Do I believe that using a literary trope is the same as following a formula? Nope. It’s what you do with the trope and how it plays into your story that defines whether it’s a formula or a valuable instrument that serves the greater story.

I’m sure the tale of a misunderstood, awkward girl whose attractiveness is hidden behind mounds of unkempt hair, until the popular boy at school befriends her and sees the beauty behind the hair, could prove an interesting fable in the right hands. Yet, when I read the above breakdown I just wait for the next predictable teen rom-com to roll through.

Traditional stories have rules that make them what they are. Break too many of them and your story falls apart. You must have a good villain, a strong protagonist, drama, suspense, believable dialogue, a sense of rhythm. But these rules are simply a list of ingredients and a broad set of instructions. It’s up to the writer to make decisions: whether to follow a well-tried recipe to produce a product offered for quick and easy consumption, or to adjust the measures and ingredients of the recipe, substituting certain ingredients with others to compose a work that offers a more substantial pleasure.