#three-act structure

[t1meslayer]

Decided to spend a bit of time trying new software for laying out the plan with my upcoming long-form fic! Can't give too much away yet~

It's Milanote for anyone curious

[rachaelhanel]

The big "O": Organizing your memoir

The big “O”: Organizing your memoir

Harry Potter: A classic storyline that follows both a three-act structure and the hero’s journey. Both structures can be useful when organizing a memoir draft. 

So you’ve written a ton of stuff for your memoir.

You have oodles and oodles of words.

You’ve been writing for a while.

You feel tapped out. What more is there to say?

If you’re at this point, then it’s time to shape it into…

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[keerthigan-architecture]

From using the programs I have determined, I started to create spatial relation diagrams for the Hungarian Police Force, and the Synergy Theatre Project, then for my proposal. I started to develop an idea of utilising a three-act structure, much like a script for a play. The three-act structure would be used for how the public might traverse my proposal, separating parts of the program for the public into three sections. 

[taleblend]

Ditch the Three-Act Structure

Ditch the Three-Act Structure

As a young writer, I met a man at a party who was a traditionally published author on a series of books about maritime history in Canada. At the time, having anything published was a far away dream situated firmly upon an unreachable horizon. At first, I had been keenly interested in what he had to say, and he was all too happy to share some advice with a young writer. He told me to learn the…

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[fixyourwritinghabits]

Novel structure: 7 Tips for Structuring Your Book Well | Now Novel

Novel structure carries your reader through to the end of your book. Read examples of story structure and tips for giving your novel satisfying shape.

[savannahstimpson]

Revising Using the Three-Act Structure

Revising Using the Three-Act Structure

            This past week I’ve gone back into the 4th draft of my manuscript and, using the notecard outline from that draft, plotted it onto the three-act structure. I did this because I knew the plot was lacking, and going back to the basics of planning a novel was the only way I could see to figure out what still needed fixing. What I learned? My story was stopping before certain major plot…

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[magoshaj]

Discover a new alternative to the conventional wisdom of restorative three-act story structure. Craft a working draft of moments rather than actions.

[sleepylilvvitch]

How to: Outline Your Novel Using the Three-Act Structure Method

Many writers are abe to write without an outline.  Flying by the seat of your pants can be great!  Writing whatever comes to mind without worrying if it actually fits in with the plot overall. It's awesome. I've been there I despised any sort of outlining because I just wanted to jump into the world I was writing about. But the problem with that was that I found myself getting stuck. A lot.  I never knew what to write half the time. I never knew where the story was really going. Then I discovered a method of outlining/plotting called the Three-Act Structure. And let me tell you, it changed my life completely!

So, How does the Three-Act Structure method work? 

This method of outlining acts as a rough map for the writer to create the story.  This gives us guidelines and boundaries to help us stay on the right track and keeps us focused on the actual storyline.

Act one should make up about 25% of the novel. It focuses on the protagonist living their day-to-day life, and then being introduced to (or thrown into) some kind of problem in which they need to solve.  They may or may not be aware of the problem yet, but something needs to be presented to them that pulls them out of their daily life and draws them onto the path leading to the climax. Act one is where you essentially show and tell the reader, "Hey, look at this person. See how messed up they are? This is what they have to fix/overcome before they can win."

The first act allows the reader to familiarize themselves with the world and characters you created. It also sets up the problem the book spends the next 75%  trying to solve.  This is where the door is opened to the meaty, juicy bits.

Act one typically contains three major plot points:

The opening scene. This introduces the protagonist, the setting rules of the world, and any other critical traits or details  the reader needs to know. Something is happening that will draw the readers in. This will also allow the reader to get to know— and like the protagonist.

The Inciting Event. This is when the opportunity to change or fix whatever is wrong, presents itself. The protagonist will be uncertain but eventually, decides to take the chance. This is when you tell the readers. "This is what the books actually about, so sit your ass down and dig in."  You're planting a seed which will grow as the story goes on. The protagonist won't see the bigger picture, but this is the point where things change for them.

The Problem. This is the transition phase between act one and act two. It is the first major step the protagonist takes on the path to the core conflict. This is where the protagonist is given a goal, and a choice to make, raising the stakes significantly, for the first time.

If the protagonist was feeling any doubts before, this is when the protagonist must choose to move forward, and out of their comfort zone, into an unfamiliar, and often emotionally (or literally) scary situation.  Although they are stepping into the unknown,  it is vital for them. Not only does this drive the plot forward, but also the character's inner journey or transformation.

This is what officially launches the middle.

Act Two, or the middle, is stuffed with roughly 50% of your novel. It pretty much begins with the protagonist leaving behind  what is familiar, and will jump into a series of challenges which will allow them to get to where they need to go. The protagonist will struggle and fail repeatedly, but will carry the valuable lessons learned from this time, into the third act, where they will face the antagonist.

Good middles show these struggles, intertwining the main plots and subplots.  Each action, clue, and discovery will bring the protagonist closer to the event which hurtles them towards the climax and resolution of the novel.  They will start off sure and confident but as things spiral out of control, they'll be riddled with self-doubt and become uncertain until they're forced to consider giving up.

Act two typically contains three major plot moments:

Act two choice.  This is a transitional moment that links the beginning and the middle of your novel.  The protagonist embraces whatever challenges they are faced with and accepts  the opportunity to resolve the problem.  How they choose to deal with that determines how the plot will unfold until the next step in the plot.

The problem is going to be huge because it is what drives the plot forward for the next ~25% of the book until you hit the midpoint.  This is the first major puzzle piece of the core conflict of your story. In most cases, it ends badly, one way or another, because the protagonist hasn't yet learned that he needs to strive to be victorious.

The choice often launches the protagonist's character arc as well, because their flaw(s) will be their weakness during the middle portion of the novel.

The midpoint reversal. This occurs right in the middle of your novel (who knew, right?) Something unexpected happens and it changes the worldview the protagonist has had thus far. The original plan is no longer a viable option for them and things have to change. The new plan is what sends the plot into the second half of the middle.

A good midpoint reversal will raise the stakes even higher than they were, to begin with. It may add a level of personal consequences that wasn't there before, or it may reveal a secret (or another problem) that was hidden at this point. Sometimes it requires a sacrifice, being it personal beliefs or an ally. And sometimes, it's all of this at the same time. This moment has to be large enough that it can carry the plot from the middle to the 75% mark in the book, to the beginning of the climax (the last 25%).

The act two disaster happens around the 75% mark in your manuscript. It is the moment where everything goes wrong for the protagonist. Often, it is the result of trying to fix whatever went wrong in the midpoint. The big plan to save the day fails and the protagonist is worse off than before. The stakes are raised yet again and it's all too much to handle.

Not to sound cliche (totally mean to be), it's the darkness before the dawn. As it all becomes too much, the protagonist realizes they must take the bull by the horns, face the storm head-on. and do what has to be done, no matter how scared they are.

Act three, the ending, is the last 25% of the novel. The protagonist decides to take the problem to the antagonist. They'll use everything they've learned over the course of the story to defeat the antagonist. They battle it out, and usually, they win. After it's all done and over with, the plot is wrapped up and the reader is then shown the new world the protagonist lives in, and the person they've become after  enduring everything that has been thrown at them during these experiences. The final battle with the antagonist doesn't have to be an actual battle.  Just two conflicting forces trying to win. The protagonist gathers themselves and any allies to aid them in challenging the antagonist. There is often either a metaphorical or literal journey involved, as a final test.

The third act typically contains three major plot moments:

The plan.  After digging deep down and finding the strength to continue, the protagonist puts a whole new plan into action, using everything they learned thus far. They finally know who they are and what they need to do. They move forward to accomplish that.

The plan is generally ambitious, clever and unexpected, even though it feels inevitable. This is what the Protagonists and their supporting characters were meant to do all along. The plan may or may not be revealed to the readers yet— often times, the actual details are kept secret, but the general idea is mentioned to drive the plot forward.

The climax is the final showdown between the antagonist and protagonist. The protagonist faces whatever has been responsible for making their life a living hell for the entirety of the story, and because they learned XYZ over that time,  they win (or lose, who knows). This realization is what was missing in their life all along. Whatever happens in the end, the core conflict of the plot is finally resolved.

The climax often has one last increase in stakes, making the final battle matter even more. This is where you, as the writer, takes into account what the protagonist has at stake on a personal level and use that to send the reader into a rollercoaster of emotions.

The wrap up is the happily ever after, or, you know, the beginning of the apocalypse. If that's what you really want.  This is the final scene, where you show the reader that there was, in fact, a point to the novel.

This is where you tie up the loose  ends and give the reader a sense of closure and reassurance that they didn't waste their time reading your book.

And there you have it, the Three-Act Structure method.  If you stuck it out and read until the end, I applaud you. Bravo. That is a lot of information to read (and write). If anybody wants, I can go more in depth in the future.