Story (Structure) Time: The Three-Act Structure
Hey, Spellbinding Spellbounders!
Whip out your wands and sharpen your swords, because today I have a blog about a particular story structure in order to help authors plan out their projects! It's the most popular of all story structures: the three-act structure. Used by all sorts of authors, from those who write scripts to those who compose novels, this structure hinges on the common idea that a story should have a beginning, middle, and an end! Go figure.
The three-act structure divides a novel into (you'll never guess it) three parts, or acts. They are sometimes labeled the Setup, the Confrontation, and the Resolution, and each has multiple parts within them. Let's dig in, shall we?
HOW IT ALL WORKS
All put together, here's how the three-act structure looks:
Act 1: The Setup
Exposition
Inciting Incident
Plot Point One
Act 2: The Confrontation
Rising Action
Midpoint
Plot Point Two
Act 3: The Resolution
Pre-Climax
Climax
Denouement
ACT 1: THE SETUP
EXPOSITION
Beginning at the beginning (where else, after all, would you start?), the exposition introduces the audience to who's who and what's what in the novel before the story even begins. This is where the protagonist is introduced, and we learn a little bit about their life, values, challenges, and goals. You don't necessarily want to infodump or frontload everything into the first few pages of the exposition, but rather spread it out in an interesting fashion. Still, the information is usually there!
INCITING INCIDENT
This is the event that begins it all, the incident that starts the protagonist on their quest or adventure. This is an absolutely necessary moment for your story, because without it there wouldn't actually be a story to take off! It would have nowhere to go, no direction. The inciting incident offers the protagonist the chance to change their life and go after their goal (which you, as the author, have previously decided or will have to decide on for them!).
PLOT POINT ONE
Now your story really gets rolling. Plot point one is the moment where your protagonist chooses to engage with the decision the inciting incident provided: basically, do they go on the adventure, do they accept the challenge, or do they go the other way? This often happens in the very same scene as the inciting incident, so don't be concerned if these two instances occur one after the other; it's natural!
ACT 2: THE CONFRONTATION
RISING ACTION
Now that the adventure has properly begun, things start to happen to and for the protagonist. This is where they first encounter difficulties, meet the rest of the characters (good and evil), and are introduced to the primary antagonist. The protagonist really starts to understand what they are facing during this section. As they do, they adapt to the situations that they encounter. It's important that they are more reactionary here, because that will change later!
MIDPOINT
Then comes the midpoint of the novel, which occurs (surprise, surprise) in the middle. More or less, at least. In this section, something big should happen, something important. Whether it's some kind of battle or confrontation (did you notice the name of the Act?!), or something else entirely, the protagonist needs to feel threatened. They need to feel as though their goal will now be more difficult, maybe even impossible, to achieve.
PLOT POINT TWO
Reflection time! Things were rough at the midpoint, and the protagonist is rightfully feeling a little low. Now is the time to think about things, particularly the conflict of the story. Remember how earlier they were more reactionary? This is the point where after they have a good talk with themselves (or another character, or both), they decide to become more proactive. No more simply going with the flow! They are going to be making the decisions now. This section is the confidence boost the character needs for the next Act.
ACT 3: THE RESOLUTION
PRE-CLIMAX
This section marks the beginning of the final battle/confrontation/clash between the protagonist and the antagonist. We've seen most of what the protagonist can do because we've been following them in the story, but here is where we first witness the antagonist's Real Power! This usually surprises the protagonist and throws them off their game in some form or fashion. After all, nobody wants to find out they've underestimated their foe…
CLIMAX
The moment we've all been waiting for! And if you haven't been, why are you still reading this theoretical novel? Weird. Anyway, just after the protagonist has been surprised by the antagonist's strength, the protagonist takes a moment to gather themselves, and then comes back swinging…and defeats the antagonist! Or at least, ends the conflict in some way. Hooray!
DENOUEMENT
Finally, everything begins to conclude. If they haven't already achieved their goal in the climax, the protagonist achieves it here, and all the loose ends are tied up. The theme is highlighted, promises fulfilled, and overall, everything made tidy.
THAT'S A WRAP!
So that's the three-act structure in a nutshell. Keep in mind, of course, that there are myriad structures out there for you to use, or not use, at your leisure. This structure isn't for everyone, but if you're having trouble kickstarting your novel, it can't hurt to use it as a structural outline, just to see where things go! If nothing else, it's a useful tool to have in your writer's toolbox. Hopefully this blog has helped you better understand how to wield said tool!
Keep your swords sharp and wands at the ready!
Alexa Nichols
