How to Pen an Award-Winning Story with Deep Structure

Literary agents share many pearls of wisdom when it comes to judging writing contests, but I've seen one that surfaces more often than all the others: deep structure.

According to Dr. John Yeoman, deep structure is "what the reader detects subconsciously beneath the narrative. A perception of depth."

It's when we as readers feel our pulse quicken, we take a deep breath and settle back in our chair, and say "Ahhhhh" as we experience reader euphoria. It's when we set the story down and think about it for days and days to follow.

So what does deep structure have to do with crafting a good hook? Plenty.

In the opening paragraph a writer has the opportunity to create an echo.

One aspect of deep structure is bringing it all full circle at the end, and to do so, the writer can create the first touchstone, the first connection in the opening paragraph. Think of it as an echo.

Echos in the opening paragraph may consist of phrases or a sentence that is repeated at the end, an image that draws upon one or more of the five senses that is experienced again at the end, or a similar action that strikes the reader in such a way to be sticky in their memory.

If done effectively, the echo relates to the theme of the story as well, giving it even deeper meaning. This helps set a story apart from the hundreds of stories a judge reads for a literary contest.