Mountain Peak Story Structure

Today I will discuss the Mountain Peak method of story structure. This was first introduced to me by David Farland, and it’s a good story structure for those who want to think in sequences rather than points. Remember, there is no right or wrong story structure. They can all work. This is just another perspective on story that might click best in your mind. The Mountain Peak method is more in-depth than the Hollywood Formula or the 7 Point Structure, but we will still cover other methods that are even more detailed. Keep an open mind, and see what fits your writing style best.

Mountain Peak

The Mountain Peak is made of seven main sections and three key moments. Let’s examine each area and apply this structure to our example, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

1. Beginning Hook

The start of the book is used to introduce the protagonist and the setting. You need to make the character likable and relatable, and create a setting that is new and intriguing. Draw the readers into the story by giving them someone to root for and a fun place to explore.

Inciting Incident

After the protagonist and setting is established, the conflict must be introduced and the protagonist realizes he has a problem. This is the inciting incident, and it often occurs around the 10% mark of the story. An event occurs to shake up the protagonist’s life and force him out of his comfort zone.

2. First Try/Fail Cycle

Next comes the First Try/Fail Cycle, and this generally takes up about 10% of the story. A Try/Fail cycle is when a protagonist sets a goal, tries to reach the goal, and either fails or succeeds in getting it. If you want to learn more about them, I wrote a post about these cycles.

Once the protagonist realizes he has a problem and is forced to face it, he must make a plan to fix it. This section will show the character’s strengths, but he will also underestimate how big the problem is and what it will take to solve it. In this Try/Fail cycle, the protagonist will either fail at achieving his goal or he will succeed but unleash an even bigger problem. 

3. Second Try/Fail Cycle

The Second Try/Fail Cycle takes about 25% of the story and finishes at the book’s Midpoint. The protagonist must make a new plan, but this time he fails spectacularly. This failure will sour his mood but also harden his resolve. He will stop passively reacting to what happens and start actively planning to get ahead of what is happening. He will set a goal and strive toward it.

Character Wound

After the protagonist fails and slumps back down his mountain, some supporting character will point out his flaws, and the protagonist will ignore it, blaming his character wound. This is the part of the story where you can reveal the protagonist’s tragic past and what made him who he has become.

4. Third Try/Fail Cycle

It’s time for one more Try/Fail cycle, and this will take up half the book (40%-50%). Here you must broaden and deepen the conflict so everything escalates. The antagonist will pull out all his tricks, and the protagonist must realize it will take everything he has but he still may not win. He must accept martyrdom. An epic battle or conflict will ensue, and the protagonist will come to a point when he realizes he will fail again.

Dark Abyss

At the brink of failure, the protagonist will have a moment when he looks into the dark abyss. It’s the lowest moment of the story. The character must decide if he will confront his character wound and overcome his flaw or if he will allow failure again. Most stories will have the protagonist move past his flaw and strike back with a force he didn’t know he possessed, leading us to the Climax.

5. Climax

In the middle of the epic battle or conflict, the protagonist finds his inner strength to overcome his character wound and he rejoins the fight. At about the 85% or 90% mark of the story, the protagonist outwits the antagonist and finally wins. He achieves his goal and solves the problem.

6. Denouement

I wrote a whole post on denouement, so I’m not going to get too detailed here. Essentially, the protagonist will have some loose ends he will need to tie up. Relationships will resolve, problems end, and the protagonist will be a hero.

7. End

The ending will establish a new normal. The improved protagonist will have either a new life or a better version of his old life. There will also be some form of validation that shows the journey was worth the trouble. The ending must prove that there are no plotting errors and everything worked out, making it a satisfying ending for the reader.

Chronicles of Narnia Example

Now let’s apply the Mountain Peal story structure to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I use the movie plot line in hopes that most of you have seen it. If you don’t want spoilers for the story, you can skip this section.

1. Beginning Hook—Four bickering siblings must leave their home due to a war and live in an unknown house in the country with strangers. Their goal is to become a family that gets along and works together. The Inciting Incident occurs when Lucy finds Narnia in the wardrobe.
2. First Try/Fail Cycle—The first cycle occurs when Lucy tells her siblings about Narnia, and it actually is a 3-Part Try/Fail cycle within itself. The first time they don’t believe her. So, she revisits the world, and this time Edmund follows her. She returns home and again tells her two oldest siblings about it, stating that Edmund went too. Edmund denies it. Finally, they are all forced into the wardrobe after breaking a window, and her siblings all see Narnia. This pushes forward the overall plot of saving Narnia while also making a step to resolve the internal conflict of their strained family relationships.
3. Second Try/Fail Cycle—It took three times, but Lucy did succeed in her goal to show Narnia to her siblings. However, by succeeding, she unleashes a bigger problem. The White Witch is after them and has tricked Edmund into a trap. The next cycle is about saving Edmund and reuniting their family, but it also keeps them in Narnia and working toward the external plot goal to save Narnia. The three siblings make a long journey to find Aslan for help, and they do succeed in getting Edmund back for a price that they don’t realize until later. The Character Wound that they struggle with throughout the story is their father’s absence due to the war and Peter’s overbearing attempts to fill their dad’s shoes.
4. Third Try/Fail Cycle—After the last Try/Fail cycle and getting Edmund back, the siblings decided to be active instead of passive. They agree to help with the war and make plans to fight the White Witch. They have it all figured out, but then their key warrior is gone. In the Dark Abyss, the siblings discover Aslan has sacrificed his life to save Edmund. They may not win the war now that he is dead, but they still try.
5. Climax—In the middle of the battle, the brothers are losing and Peter tells Edmund to retreat. Edmund refuses to turn his back on his family again (overcoming his flaw as a traitor), and he battles the White Witch himself, breaking her magical scepter. Aslan comes back to life and kills the White Witch.
6. Denouement—The four siblings are crowned the rulers of Narnia and peace is restored. A scene shows them as adults, all laughing and riding horses together. The external plot to save Narnia and the internal plot to reconcile the siblings have both been resolved.
7. End—The siblings rediscover the wardrobe in Narnia and return to their old lives, assured that Narnia will need them again in the future.

Final Thoughts

I like the Mountain Peak story structure because you can plan the story in sequences. All you have to do is pick the character’s goal, create three ways for him to fail at getting it, and one surprising way for him to achieve it. If you are more of a pantser, this story structure might work best for you. Give it a try or, if you want more structure, stay tuned for the next few weeks when I will go over three more detailed story structures.

Thanks for reading!

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