When you talk to editors, writing professors, or authors about writing a novel, the term 3 act structure gets thrown around almost as much as the one’s cellphone. So, what is 3 act structure? It is simply the beginning, middle, and ending acts of a story.
When you set off to write a crime thriller, romance novel, or historical fiction story you as the writer in Act 1 will introduce our protagonist and give him or her a problem to solve.
In Act II your hero tries to solve the problem and suffers multiple setbacks.
In Act III, your hero finally overcomes all of the setbacks. Or they don’t, and your hero dies, but readers tend to get irritated if this occurs, so it’s better to keep them around and have them solve the puzzle.
Put another way, here’s a 3 Act Structure. (In a simplified version of a story).
Act I Something occurs to get the story going, such as a client comes to the PI’s office to hire him to solve a missing person’s case. The private investigator takes the case and is back in business.
Act II The PI protagonist tries to find the missing person, but every time he gets close, he is shot at, or jumped in an alley, or has a flat tire, or the roof of his office caves in or, he gets food poisoning, or his seductive client pushes him off of a cliff, or… You get the picture.
Act III The PI figures out that his client has been hiding evidence from him the entire time and has been trying to sidetrack his every move. She is keeping the missing person, her older, more beautiful, and far more successful sister, in the basement of her own home. (Ok, but why would she hire a PI in the first place and waste all of her own savings?) That will be book 2 in this series you’re going to write.
And that my friends is the three act structure of a story.
Most of the movies you’ve watched and loved over the past 20 - 30 years have this same three-act structure.
Now, if you really wanted to write a screenplay or a novel you’d be interested in further detail and analysis of the 3 Act Structure.
Here’s a bit more. If you Google the 3 Act Structure you will find literally thousands of interpretations. Which can be very
Act I - The beginning. (Set up)
The Inciting Incident.
Second thoughts.
Climax of Act I.
Act II - Ascending Action. (Confrontation)
Obstacle one.
Obstacle two.
Midpoint - a big twist might occur here.
Obstacle three.
Disaster.
Crisis.
Climax of Act Two
Act III - Descending Action. (Resolution)
Climax of Act Three
(Sometimes there will be a renouncement early in the third act - this occurs in many movies if you look for it.)
Wrap-up
End.
Ok, now you have all the details of how to write your novel or screenplay. Now all you have to do is sit down and write.
PS I hope everyone had a nice break from work over the Thanksgiving weekend. I also hope you haven’t eaten too much pie for breakfast.
Until next time. Get out and have some fun. See the sights and by no means go shopping.
Take care.