Is all writing formula? Surprisingly, nobody has ever asked me that question, but it is one I ask myself constantly. With methods like the 120 beats, the three act structure, the hero’s journey, the alchemical method, and more, it is easy to deconstruct stories and series and pick out the formulaic bits with ease. Obviously all writing is not formula, but so much of it i that when you see a thing that breaks the formula you notice it–maybe even call it experimental.
So, does that make formula a bad thing? Not really, no. Formula is a useful way to construct a tale so long as you are not sticking to the book step for step and you are telling character-driven stories that feature story worthy individuals who change over the course of your tale. Think of the formula as the backdrop on which the story is written, and feel confident enough to deviate when you see fit as a writer.
You can also look at formula as a way to figure out what is missing in a story that feels like it does have holes. I’ve been using the beats for this latest novel as a way to recognize what I am missing in it. There is definitely something missing, and I’ve been able to get on to the scent of what by going back through it and figuring out what beats I didn’t hit when I wrote it up initially.
That’s the last part: Write freely first. You will find that these formulas are often skeletal in nature and what you do naturally often fits neatly into their framework. This is why it is effective for me to go back and look at a beat sheet after the fact and fill in blanks. I’m not writing to the beats but using them as a way to understand structure and what readers unconsciously seek out in story.