One of the most important ideas to keep in mind when beginning a new novel is continuity. Having a beginning, a middle, and an end (BME) applies not just to the novel itself, but to each chapter as well.

The main theme is continuously interwoven throughout, and is never broken anywhere along the path of writing. Chapters, however, break the story into manageable blocks, with the story theme always threading in the background.

Think of the main story as a collection of back-to-back “short stories.” As before, each one has a beginning, middle and end (BME). Some chapters will necessarily reveal a thread connecting it to the theme. Other chapters will not stand alone: the “short story” spreads itself across more than one chapter but has the essential BME structure.

Another, analogous story structure is the road map. Most highways and byways have a multitude of alternate routes, and, for the most part, no one is better than any other. All are designed to get the “traveler” to their destination, speed here not being a consideration. Alternate routes sometimes have one city along the way; others have two or three or more.

As do stories with chapters; some short stories having only one BME, others having their structure spread over two or more chapters. The result is always the same: to get the reader to a specific destination with as little distraction as possible.

Whether that end point is a chapter, a series of chapters, or an entire story, the mapping of the novel must provide emotional satisfaction to the reader. And for the author, having provided that relief to readers is not only the ultimate goal, but is also the sign of a novel well-mapped.