{"id":1487,"date":"2025-02-08T13:48:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T13:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/?p=1487"},"modified":"2025-02-08T13:53:04","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T13:53:04","slug":"why-the-3-act-structure-isnt-good-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/2025\/02\/08\/why-the-3-act-structure-isnt-good-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the 3-Act Structure isn&#8217;t good enough"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\"><strong>And how I make it better<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s the Three Act Structure? It\u2019s a way of splitting a story into 3 parts (Acts, if you will) in order to create a satisfying reading or watching experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First described somewhere around 400 AD by Aelius Donatus (a Roman grammarian and rhetoric scholar, would you believe), it\u2019s been around for a while. You can read more about Donatus HERE: [ <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aelius_Donatus\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Aelius_Donatus<\/a> ] if you really want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what is the Three Act Structure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As always, Wikipedia is a good place to start:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[ https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Three-act_structure ]&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a picture to look at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Three-act_structure.svg_.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"251\" src=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Three-act_structure.svg_.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Three-act_structure.svg_.png 1000w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Three-act_structure.svg_-300x75.png 300w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Three-act_structure.svg_-768x193.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>and another, slightly more detailed picture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-act-structure-002-ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg-converter.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"850\" height=\"594\" src=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-act-structure-002-ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg-converter.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-act-structure-002-ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg-converter.jpg 850w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-act-structure-002-ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg-converter-300x210.jpg 300w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/3-act-structure-002-ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg-converter-768x537.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And here\u2019s a really good video to watch &#8211; it relates the 3AS to popular films to make it easier to understand:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Three Act Structure Explained \u2014 The Secret to Telling a Great Story\" width=\"730\" height=\"411\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tvqjp1CxxD8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>NB. Don\u2019t 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.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there\u2019s a brief introduction for those new to it. So, what\u2019s my problem with it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\"><strong>I find that the Three Act Structure is just too damned vague.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To a certain extent, it\u2019s a \u2018me\u2019 problem. I\u2019m unable to hold a complete plot of a crime story (my choice of writing genre) in my head, all at once. I can\u2019t even hold all the twists and turns of a single 20,000 word act in my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So for my purposes, I need to split it into some smaller chunks that I <em>can<\/em> hold in my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my previous life as a software author (amongst other things), I learnt at an early stage&nbsp; of my career to split large projects into smaller \u2018lumps\u2019. 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\u2019m sitting here, writing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>So, how to dig out the scenes from the acts?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the first stage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/my-workflow-diagram-stage-1-01.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3508\" height=\"2479\" src=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/my-workflow-diagram-stage-1-01.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/my-workflow-diagram-stage-1-01.png 3508w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/my-workflow-diagram-stage-1-01-300x212.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3508px) 100vw, 3508px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You will see that my workflow diagram (above) shows the 3 acts (I split the middle act into two equal halves, because it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plot point 1 &#8211; The Hook and Setup<\/strong>. <strong>The Hook<\/strong> is, literally, what hooks your reader into the story. It exists within the first couple of pages, and it\u2019s 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. <strong>The Setup<\/strong> is when you introduce your reader to the characters, perhaps the location, maybe introduce the theme, but give them enough to answer the question: \u201cWhat\u2019s that book about?\u201d They need to know that the story is going to be interesting enough to keep them engaged until the last page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plot point 2 &#8211; Plot Turn 1<\/strong>. This is a very specific feature of the story. Some might call it the \u2018trapdoor moment\u2019 &#8211; not that anyone\u2019s going to fall down a hole in the floor. It\u2019s 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 \u2018all in\u2019 on a case, or a hero will set out on their journey, knowing that they can\u2019t go back. The trapdoor closes behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plot point 3 &#8211; First Pinch Point.<\/strong> A story isn\u2019t a story without conflict. When the main character starts their journey, they might understand it isn\u2019t 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\u2019t automatically confess at the first interview. Journeys through an environment have dangers and risks. Caroline\u2019s dream job isn\u2019t going to be without its difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plot point 4 &#8211; Midpoint.<\/strong> Sometimes called the mirror moment. It\u2019s not that it just happens to be the middle of the book. It\u2019s called a mirror moment because it can be used to reflect the character\u2019s journey back at them, making them realise how far they\u2019ve 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\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plot point 5 &#8211; Second Pinch Point.<\/strong> Conflict! Always more conflict! The more the merrier! In this second pinch point, the main character comes up against another obstruction, a roadblock. They\u2019ve already dealt with one major problem, but now they\u2019ve got another, and this one\u2019s even worse than last time! This is the point at which they ask themselves if they\u2019ve 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 \u201cO Lord, why hast though forsaken me?\u201d Is this the end of their journey?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plot point 6 &#8211; Plot Turn 2.<\/strong> Of course that wasn\u2019t 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.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plot point 7 &#8211; Climax, Resolution and Finale.<\/strong> Having fought through all the trials and tribulations, the hungry beasts, the devious criminals, they\u2019re ready to finish this thing off. There may be one or two little twists still to come, but nothing\u2019s 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 <em>Last Orders<\/em>, in the opening scene my main character is sits on a low wall, unaware of the direction their life is about to go.&nbsp; In the finale scene, she\u2019s 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&#8230; <em>for now!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you find this all too complicated, my method is fairly simple and straightforward. There are more complicated ideas around!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/over-complicated-3-Act-structure.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"522\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/over-complicated-3-Act-structure-522x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/over-complicated-3-Act-structure-522x1024.jpg 522w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/over-complicated-3-Act-structure-153x300.jpg 153w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/over-complicated-3-Act-structure-768x1508.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/over-complicated-3-Act-structure-782x1536.jpg 782w, https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/over-complicated-3-Act-structure.jpg 1043w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 522px) 100vw, 522px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the final part of this series, I\u2019ll talk about the further levels I create, stage by stage, down to scene level, and the use of the Save The Cat Beat Sheet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please check in again soon!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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.&nbsp; What\u2019s the Three Act Structure? It\u2019s a way of splitting a story into 3 parts (Acts, if you will) in order to create [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,68,6,8,41,16,17],"tags":[126,70,118,46,124,55,78,127,54,125,25],"class_list":["post-1487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","category-efficient-novelist","category-inspiration","category-my-writing","category-novel","category-writing","category-writing-on-writing","tag-3-act-structure","tag-advice","tag-author","tag-creativity","tag-novel","tag-novels","tag-planning","tag-plotting","tag-success","tag-three-act-structure","tag-writing-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Three-act_structure.svg_.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5y3CH-nZ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1487"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1494,"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1487\/revisions\/1494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gerald-hornsby.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}