on Jane Friedman site:

We’ve come across many authors who believe that plot points amount to paint-by-numbers storytelling—or that only genre writers need to worry about structure. However, if you look back through the classics, almost every novel features these plot points, though not always in the same arrangement.

That’s not because classic authors were following some secret formula or even consciously checking off structural beats. It’s because novels that hit these plot points immerse and engage readers by creating emotional resonance. These books have endured not because of subject matter alone, but because they were structurally effective. The right moments happened at the right times to elicit reader investment and momentum.

So, let’s take a closer look at why structure works—not as a mechanical template, but as an emotional engine that corresponds to human nature and thereby drives a reader’s engagement.