 One of the things that can really help, as you're developing your novel outline, is understanding how both external story structure and internal story structure operate together within a story. Now emerging writers sometimes get nervous when they hear the term story structure because they think, well, I don't want to use a formula, I don't want to make a cookie cutter story just like every other story. But that's not what story structure is about. Both external story structure and internal story structure are tools that you can use to deepen your understanding of how your story works. Think of story structure like a skeleton. We all have the same bones inside our body that help us move around and do the things that we need to do. But on the outside, we all look completely unique. And that's what story structure can do. It can provide that necessary framework to ensure that you have a strong story that affects your reader while at the same time leaving you open to make creative decisions that make your story your own.