And how I make it better
Anyone entering the world of storytelling, be it through film, TV, books or any other medium, will soon get to hear of the Three Act Structure.
What’s the Three Act Structure? It’s a way of splitting a story into 3 parts (Acts, if you will) in order to create a satisfying reading or watching experience.
First described somewhere around 400 AD by Aelius Donatus (a Roman grammarian and rhetoric scholar, would you believe), it’s been around for a while. You can read more about Donatus HERE: [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aelius_Donatus ] if you really want.
In more recent times, screenwriter and screenwriting tutor Syd Field wrote a book about it in 1979 called Screenplay: the Foundations of Screenwriting which brought it to further prominence. And you can read a lot about it everywhere on the internet, good and bad.
So what is the Three Act Structure?
As always, Wikipedia is a good place to start:
[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-act_structure ]
So, to make things simple, the 3AS defines a story as having a Beginning, a Middle, and an End (sometimes us story folks like to refer to the acts as the Setup, the Confrontation and the Resolution). These three sections are understandable by young children, and even dimwits like me.
Here’s a picture to look at:
and another, slightly more detailed picture:
And here’s a really good video to watch – it relates the 3AS to popular films to make it easier to understand:
NB. Don’t be put off by the fact that this, and many other resources, are based on screenwriting for films. They are using the medium of video to tell a story, exactly as we novelists (traditionally) use the medium of ink and paper to tell our stories.
So there’s a brief introduction for those new to it. So, what’s my problem with it?
I find that the Three Act Structure is just too damned vague.
To a certain extent, it’s a ‘me’ problem. I’m unable to hold a complete plot of a crime story (my choice of writing genre) in my head, all at once. I can’t even hold all the twists and turns of a single 20,000 word act in my head.
So for my purposes, I need to split it into some smaller chunks that I can hold in my head.
In my previous life as a software author (amongst other things), I learnt at an early stage of my career to split large projects into smaller ‘lumps’. We used to call it Functional Decomposition (splitting projects into individual functions), and it really helped me deal with major software projects. And so it is with long-form fiction. Refining and iterating the plotting process brings me down to a single scene at a time, which plays out in my head as I’m sitting here, writing it.
So, how to dig out the scenes from the acts?
Here’s the first stage:
You will see that my workflow diagram (above) shows the 3 acts (I split the middle act into two equal halves, because it’s easier for me and suits my genre) but then, within those acts, several plot points (which are similar to the plot points shown on the earlier diagrams). Note these plot points fit within (and are contained by) the 3 act structure.
Plot point 1 – The Hook and Setup. The Hook is, literally, what hooks your reader into the story. It exists within the first couple of pages, and it’s the thing you imagine a prospective buyer would read when they pick up the book in a bookshop or library. You have a minute, at most, to grab your reader and make them want to buy / read the book. The Setup is when you introduce your reader to the characters, perhaps the location, maybe introduce the theme, but give them enough to answer the question: “What’s that book about?” They need to know that the story is going to be interesting enough to keep them engaged until the last page.
Plot point 2 – Plot Turn 1. This is a very specific feature of the story. Some might call it the ‘trapdoor moment’ – not that anyone’s going to fall down a hole in the floor. It’s the point at which your main character has a choice to make: are they going to return to their normal life (which would be very boring), or are they going to go forward within the story? This could be the point where the private investigator decides to go ‘all in’ on a case, or a hero will set out on their journey, knowing that they can’t go back. The trapdoor closes behind them.
Plot point 3 – First Pinch Point. A story isn’t a story without conflict. When the main character starts their journey, they might understand it isn’t always going to go smoothly for them. Whatever their aims, someone or something is going to get in their way, to try to stop them. The killer doesn’t automatically confess at the first interview. Journeys through an environment have dangers and risks. Caroline’s dream job isn’t going to be without its difficulties.
Plot point 4 – Midpoint. Sometimes called the mirror moment. It’s not that it just happens to be the middle of the book. It’s called a mirror moment because it can be used to reflect the character’s journey back at them, making them realise how far they’ve come. It can also be used to mirror the opening scene, but with the changes already in place. Half of your employees have left because they think you’re an awful boss, so your character might look at the desks in the office, as they did on the first day, and now note the number of empty chairs.
Plot point 5 – Second Pinch Point. Conflict! Always more conflict! The more the merrier! In this second pinch point, the main character comes up against another obstruction, a roadblock. They’ve already dealt with one major problem, but now they’ve got another, and this one’s even worse than last time! This is the point at which they ask themselves if they’ve got what it takes to go on, to solve the case, to reach the destination, to get the girl / boy / thing of their dreams. They may even cry “O Lord, why hast though forsaken me?” Is this the end of their journey?
Plot point 6 – Plot Turn 2. Of course that wasn’t the end of their journey. They find a solution to their problems. Sometimes, a mentor might step in to help them, or they discover a magic amulet, or they finally translate the secret scroll. Or a witness comes forward with new information, or someone finds a gun hidden in their garden. Now, our main character can move forward with a spring in their step and a renewed vigour for the task ahead.
Plot point 7 – Climax, Resolution and Finale. Having fought through all the trials and tribulations, the hungry beasts, the devious criminals, they’re ready to finish this thing off. There may be one or two little twists still to come, but nothing’s going to stop them now. We end up with the final battle, the final confrontation, the Agatha Christie-like reveal of the murderer. In the resolution, we finally release all the captives, or explain to the hapless detective how the murderer was uncovered, or we fall into the arms of our lover at last. The finale is simply the final scene, often mirroring (again) the opening scene. In my book Last Orders, in the opening scene my main character is sits on a low wall, unaware of the direction their life is about to go. In the finale scene, she’s again sitting on the low wall, but she now understands so much more, she has changed and grown, and all of her problems have been solved… for now!
If you find this all too complicated, my method is fairly simple and straightforward. There are more complicated ideas around!
In the final part of this series, I’ll talk about the further levels I create, stage by stage, down to scene level, and the use of the Save The Cat Beat Sheet.
Please check in again soon!