How To Structure A Book

Read time: 4.5 minutes

You want to write a book or article. You’ve written down dozens of little phrases, quotes, and ideas—now it’s time to organize them into a cohesive story or whole, but you’re stuck.

Ever been there?

As an editor, I often receive manuscripts from authors that are full of great content, but totally unorganized. Putting the pieces together is tedious, like trying to complete a 5,000-piece puzzle.

Without a strong structure, you’ll lose readers. They’ll feel lost, overwhelmed, frustrated, or bored … and ditch your book.

Dodging Structure

Why do so many writers struggle to structure their work? There’s a few key reasons:

• Flow: We just start writing, assuming it will make sense in the end.
• Frustration: We give up because structuring our writing is hard.
• Freedom: We don’t want a rigid structure to stifle creativity and spontaneity.

Despite the persuasiveness of these structure avoidance tactics, in the end, a book that is well-written is always well-organized.

Big Idea: A well-crafted structure is key to writing a well-read book.

I heard editor David Sluka use this analogy: Structuring your book is like pouring coffee. If you pour it out onto the table, it spills everywhere and is wasted. However, if you pour it out into a mug, it’s contained and becomes something delightful (and drinkable).

The moral of the story: Pour your content into an intentional structure so readers can enjoy your writing.

Easy to say, hard to do. How do you structure a book?

Here’s 3 ideas, with examples:

1. Problem-Solution

One way to structure your book is to present the problem in part one, then unpack the solution in part two.

Every nonfiction book should address a problem (what’s wrong and why it matters to the reader), as well as a solution (how the problem can be solved and how a reader’s life will be transformed).

John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is a great example of this structure. As you can see, he actually calls Part 1 “the problem” and Part 2 “the solution.”

Another example is Brett McCracken’s book, The Wisdom Pyramid. He calls Part 1 “the source of our sickness” (the problem) and Part 2 “sources of our wisdom” (the solution).

2. Spoke and Hub

A second way to structure your book is to choose a central topic (the hub), then use every chapter to unpack one particular aspect of that topic (spoke). Every spoke (chapter) should clearly link to the hub (topic), but unlike the problem-solution structure, topics don’t have to be linear (in a certain order).

This structure is ideal when you’re tackling a lot of mini topics that all fit under one heading. For example, in Andrew Wilson’s God of all Things, he explores how various elements of creation (the spokes) point to God (the hub).

Another example is Rebecca McLaughlin’s Confronting Christianity. As you can see, each spoke (chapter) raises a question about the hub (Christianity). This is a brilliant way to make sure every chapter actually connects to the main topic, or hub. Questions also create curiosity, which makes readers hungry for resolution.

3. Redemptive Arc

A third way to structure your book is what I call the “redemptive arc.” Essentially, it places the problem in the middle, using this 3-fold movement:

1. Creation - how God intends something to be

2. Fall - how this thing is messed up in our broken world

3. Redemption - how God is redeeming this thing

This framework is helpful when trying to reclaim or redeem a good thing that has been misrepresented and abused in a sinful world—things like work, sex, friendship, romance, food, technology, church, rest, etc.

In Tim Keller’s Every Good Endeavor, he uses this 3-fold structure to show how work, which is often reduced to pointless drudgery, is part of God’s good intentions for his people:

Part One: God’s Plan for Work (creation)

Part Two: Our Problems With Work (fall)

Part Three: The Gospel and Work (redemption)

In Made For Friendship, Drew Hunter remixes this structure a bit by starting with the fall, moving to creation, then redemption. By starting with what’s broken, he effectively pulls readers in immediately.

Part One: The Necessity of Friendship (fall)

Part Two: The Gift of Friendship (creation)

Part Three: The Redemption of Friendship (redemption)

Map Out the Journey

There are endless ways to structure a book—this list is not exhaustive. Still, I hope these three structures provide a useful starting point. Start with one of them, then remix and revamp as needed.

Outlining before you write feels tedious, but I promise you, it will free you write with joy and intentionality.

When you opt out of organization, you lose readers. Invite them into an intentional journey, not an aimless jaunt. Assure them you’ve mapped out this journey—you’re leading them somewhere meaningful.

The clearer the journey is in your mind, the more enjoyable it will be for others.

I’m rooting for you.