The Shape of your writing...

One of the things I notice when I read a good book, is the shape of the writing; the choices the author made that give it unique contours. Like poetry, writing can be enhanced by the way it looks. In poetry, the meter often has a shape. Usually, this isn't developed in books until the last draft is being put together. 

The structure, the grammar, the syntax, the word choice, the justification, and the headings (among other things) give the writing a shape. The way the author puts them together can give the writing additional appeal or change the mood and message of the work. While it may not contribute to the overall story, it might make it look better and also increase readability. 

Primarily, the writing community shapes writing with word choice- a noun or a verb can change the context. Sometimes two words mean the same but one implies a deeper meaning. Sometimes one flows better and is more smooth. Sometimes a word can stop the reader and make them think. But words do not make the whole story, there is more to it.

In the broadest sense, the shape of a story encompasses mood, tone, message, and flow. Writers build this with all of the aforementioned characteristics of writing. 

These concepts do not come easy, and they do not come early. They require practice to understand, to recognize the shape of the work, and how to take that lump of words and make it into a pearl. 

Here is a video that helps to explain a part of it:

Cheers!