The Three Act Structure
The Three Act Structure
By Patrick Dent New Online Bookstore
As the craft of writing has evolved, it has naturally formed the
plot structure most pleasant to the human mind. This is the
Three Act Structure, and it applies to short stories, novels and
screenplays alike. What follows is the general flow of the Three
Act Structure.
ACT ONE - The Setup
In Act One the protagonist meets all of the characters in the
story. We also learn the main problem of the story. Everybody
can usually plot Act One because we have to know the problem to
have the idea. The trick in Act One is to keep it interesting.
Don't just start rolling out story points. Start at the most
interesting point, where there is conflict and excitement, and
help the audience sort it out. Act One is a preparation act for
the viewer or reader. This is where they learn about the central
character - whether they like him, whether they care about him,
and whether they care about his dilemma. The protagonist may be
the hero or the villain, depending on whose story is more
interesting, whose story drives the plot forward. You should
open Act One with a bang. Don't start at "Once upon a time."
Open with a hook. By the end of Act One you should also have
introduced the protagonist, the antagonist and set up all of the
secondary character relationships.
Here are some general guidelines for the objectives of Act One.
1. Establish the status quo for the protagonist. 2. Present the
initial impetus for a move or change by the protagonist. 3. Ask
the central question of the book. Summarize your book in 25
words or less and you will find the central question of your
book. 4. Define the wants of the major characters and their
reasons for desiring these things. 5. Lay the groundwork and
establish the stakes for the chase to occur in Act 2.
ACT TWO - The Chase
This is the most important act in the drama because you have the
two most important structural moves in the story. 1. It
complicates the initial problem. 2. It defeats the protagonist
at its end.
The complication usually comes at the top of Act Two. The
problem that we already set up in Act One, now has to become
much more dangerous and difficult. A good way to design the
complication is to let it be a piece of the back-story that has
remained hidden until Act Two. The protagonist must then start
to try to solve this bigger, more complicated problem, while the
adversaries make moves to defeat them. Your adversaries must be
in motion. Adversaries should not be standing around, waiting to
be caught. The end of Act Two marks the destruction of the
protagonist's plan. At the end of Act Two the protagonist should
be almost destroyed, and at the lowest point in the drama,
either physically and/or emotionally. He (or she) is flat on his
back and it looks like there is no way he can succeed.
Here are some general guidelines for the objectives of Act Two.
1. The protagonist behaves differently, more assertive 2. The
protagonist tries to do the right thing, but is foiled by the
antagonist three times. These are called reversals. Think of any
story and spot the reversals. The overall conflict has three
reversals and one conclusion. 3. Use the information presented
in Act One. This is the groundwork we discussed during Act One.
Objects and facts that appeared in the background of Act One now
take on new meanings significant to the plot. 4. Make the chase
unpredictable, stimulating, engaging and unique. 5. Rely heavily
on physical action. 6. Put the characters in interesting
situations and locations, ensuring those situations and
locations relate to the hero's intent.
ACT THREE
This is simply the resolution of the problem. From the rubble
laying around him/her, the protagonist picks up a piece of
string and follows it to the eventual conclusion of the story.
Some stories have downbeat endings, where the protagonist learns
a lesson, but dies or is defeated. Of course, there is no
precise formula for success. It is always possible to alter this
Three Act Structure, but remember, if you break these plot
rules, you should at least know why you are doing it.
Here are some general guidelines for the objectives of Act
Three. 1. Answer the central question of the book. 2. Fulfill
all the promises made in Acts One and Two. 3. Answer all
questions asked in Acts One and Two - no loose ends. 4. The
protagonist must undergo a change to conquer a larger version of
something that conquered him during Act 1.
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