Plot & structure · Tip 24 of 82 · 4 min read
The Story Sandwich: Beginning, Middle and End
Every great story is built like a yummy sandwich. Here's how to stack yours.
Have you ever eaten a sandwich with no bread? It falls apart in your hands! Stories are the same. They need a beginning, a middle and an end to hold everything together.
The top slice: the beginning
The beginning tells your reader who the story is about, where it happens, and what normal life looks like before something changes.
Priya lived on the top floor of a tall, wobbly building. Every morning she fed her goldfish, Captain Bubbles, and waved at the pigeons.
The filling: the middle
The middle is the tasty part. Something goes wrong, and your character has to try to fix it. They might try once, fail, and try again. The middle is where the excitement lives!
One morning, Captain Bubbles' bowl was empty. A trail of wet footprints led to the window. Priya followed them up the fire escape, past grumpy Mr. Lee's flowerpots, all the way to the roof.
The bottom slice: the end
The end answers the big question. Did your character solve the problem? How have they changed? A good ending makes your reader sigh happily (or gasp!).
On the roof sat a very small seagull, holding Captain Bubbles' bowl like a treasure. Priya laughed, swapped the bowl for a cracker, and carried her goldfish home. From then on, she always closed the window.