The power of a story is in the structure. The way a story is built, how the pressure is released, the rhythm from hook to climax… it is all in the structure.
These are principles on which a story hangs. Most writers build upon the three-act structure. Or thread the story through the hero’s journey.
To refine the story and structure in later drafts, or when I’ve hit a point, I’ve found it helpful to pull in other perspectives. Like looking at the three act structure from the antagonist’s perspective. Or take a story built on a three-act structure and see how it stands up with the principles of the hero’s journey, or Freytag’s Pyramid just for a fresh view on the work.
A few years ago I found this lecture from Kurt Vonnegut with a whole other perspective on structure. It was such a different take on the usual rhythm of the story. And complimented the other structures.
Here’s a link to the full lecture.
Working this perspective along the main beats and sequences of a story has helped me add depth or texture to the beats in both my own writing and with clients’ books. Understanding and harnessing the rhythm of the story strengthens it. And finding different ways to look at this can give that extra perspective to refine each turning point.