Structuring your writing is essential, but it can be challenging to know how to structure your novel. The good news is that there are plenty of options; the bad news…there are plenty of options. Deciding which structure to use can feel like a minefield, so you might be tempted to stick with a tried and tested structure: the three-act structure. This divides a story into three separate and distinct parts – the Set Up, the Confrontation and the Resolution – each with their own plot points.
The three-act structure can be traced back to Aristotle’s Poetics. Aristotle believed that stories are a chain of cause-and-effect beats, so each scene should lead into the next and not be a standalone episode. He also said that the first two acts should be concluded by an event that changes the direction of the narrative. In the three-act structure, each of the acts has three plot points. The First Act is made up of exposition, the Inciting Incident and Plot Point 1. The Second Act features rising action, the Midpoint and Plot Point 2. The Third Act concludes with the Pre-Climax, Climax and Denouement (or Resolution). Let’s look at each act in turn.
How To Structure Your Novel
Act One: The Set Up
The First Act takes up the first 25% of the story. The main aim of the First Act is to establish your story’s world and its characters, especially your protagonist. You need to show who your protagonist is, their everyday life, their wants and needs, and what they have to lose. You also need to hint at the conflict that will unfold. This is called exposition, and it features in most structures in some form.
Before you move into the Second Act, you need to do two more things: the Inciting Incident and Plot Point 1. The Inciting Incident is the catalyst that forces the protagonist into the story. It should give the protagonist a chance to change their situation if they’re willing to step outside their comfort zone. Sometimes, you will hear this called the ‘call to adventure’. In some stories, your protagonist will resist this call or pretend it’s not happening, but it should be perfectly clear by this stage what the protagonist stands to lose if they fail to act. You may need to devote a couple of scenes that raise the stakes so that the character has no choice but to ultimately accept. Remember: if your character does not accept the call, you have no story.
Plot Point 1 is where your protagonist will make this decision about whether they want to engage or not. Sometimes this happens immediately after the Inciting Incident; other times, you will need to raise the stakes a bit more for the protagonist to realise there is no other option. This decision will launch your story into the Second Act.
Act Two: The Confrontation
The next 50% of your book will be taken up by the Second Act, which sees rising action that leads to a Midpoint and then results in a crisis. The rising action is where the protagonist’s journey really starts. They begin to encounter obstacles that could cause them to fail. They will learn about their new surroundings and start understanding the challenges that lay before them. You should acquaint your readers better with the rest of the cast and with the antagonist and elaborate on the story’s conflict.
The Midpoint will come in the middle in the middle of the story (hence the name). A significant event should occur here. In most narratives, the Midpoint will involve something going wrong. This event should be related to the protagonist’s main goal. Your main character may think they’re ready to take on the antagonist, but they’re not. They still have learning and growing to do. This event shouldn’t spell the end for the protagonist, but it should make them change their tactics. They won’t merely be reacting to the antagonist; they will start acting.
Your Second Act should conclude with Plot Point Two. The protagonist has been pushing through their doubts, and now they encounter something that prompts a revelation. This will allow them to defeat the antagonist at the Climax.
Act Three: The Resolution
The Third Act begins with the Pre-Climax. Here, the protagonist begins to gear up to battle the antagonist, but the antagonist has also been getting stronger. This is the first time we get a glimpse of the antagonist’s true strength, which catches the protagonist off-guard. Even though most readers know that the protagonist typically wins the day, they should have some doubts about whether the protagonist will actually get through it.
Your protagonist and antagonist will finally face off in the climax. This is the final moment of the story’s conflict. The antagonist has just smacked the protagonist, so the protagonist should be reeling. The opponents fight again, but this time the protagonist will win. The Climax is normally contained to a single scene, while the Pre-Climax typically stretches over several scenes.
The final scene should be the Denouement or the Resolution. Here, you should resolve any lingering goals and provide some sort of closure for the reader.
When Should You Use the Three-Act Structure?
The three-act structure is one of the many ways you can structure your novel, and it is one that writers often turn to for several reasons. Unlike some other structures, the three-act structure is universal, meaning that you can apply it to pretty much every genre and story arc. The three-act structure ensures that every scene starts and ends with a clear purpose and direction, which is why this structure is so loved.
Summary
Like the name suggests, the three-act structure consists of three parts – the Set Up, the Confrontation and the Resolution – and has three plot points within each of these three acts. The three-act structure is one of the most popular structures authors use for their novels because it is universal and helps to create cause-and-effect scenes that drive the narrative. But, while it is popular, it’s not the only structure, and you are more than able to customise and adapt this structure as you need it. You could use this as the basis of your novel but make changes that are appropriate to your story. That’s the real benefit of the three-act structure: it’s flexible!
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