1. Stormsong07

    Stormsong07 Contributor Contributor

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    Thoughts on the 3-Act Structure

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by Stormsong07, Feb 25, 2017.

    I used to just get a story idea, roughly sketch out the main points, and then have at it- just write. But I'd often find myself hitting a sticking point, getting, well, stuck, lol, and eventually putting the story aside.
    Then I discovered what is known as the 3-Act structure. Specifically, the structure in the was Steve Alcorn puts it in his book How To Fix Your Novel. And wow, has it made a difference. I have found that by knowing the journey I want my character on from the beginning, it has become so much easier to write it. Even if I get a little stuck at one place, I know where I want my MC to end up, and it makes it easier to keep her moving forward. I'm at 16,744 words and still going strong.
    For those not familiar with what I'm talking about, here is the basic overview:
    Act 1
    1. Hook
    2. Backstory
    3. Trigger
    Act 2
    1.Crisis
    2. Struggle
    3. Epiphany
    Act 3
    1. Plan
    2. Climax
    3. Ending

    There's a lot more to it than that, but those are the major points Alcorn talks about in his book. It's seriously my new writing Bible. And I've found that I do a lot of what he talks about intuitively (for example, writing scene and sequel, etc) which tells me that it's a natural form of writing for me.

    How about you guys? What do you think of the 3 Act Structure? Do you think it's something commonly used in big-selling novels? Or do you think it's too rigid?
     
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  2. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    Writing by formula... nah, not for me. I'm very sceptical about How To Write books.

    I plan out stories by character arcs. The first few chapters show where the characters need to learn, the middle has several points at which they gradually grow, by the last chapter they're doing things or thinking things they wouldn't have in Chapter 1. I also put in a 'black moment' where it seems their relationship is doomed (I write romance). I also make sure there's a source of tension in each chapter.

    That creates a progression similar to the one the three act structure does, but without being so formulaic and restrictive.
     
  3. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    The three act structure is just a fancy way of reworking the beginning/middle/end idea. It isn't particularly revelatory. All stories have beginnings, middles, and ends by definition. Even a one act play or a five act epic. Having it laid out in a model like that is helpful if you're not familiar with the process, and it's awesome if it helps you sort things out, but I've never had much use for diagrams, charts, and models. I don't plan much until I get a ways into the story. Usually I start with a couple of characters and some general vibes, but I usually don't have a clue what I'm writing about until I get a hefty chunk of it written. My first drafts of novels generally look like half eroded sandcastles by the time I'm done, and then I'm make some decisions and rework them in subsequent drafts. But you should definitely run with the model if it gets your juices flowing.
     
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  4. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    I could never work to a structure like that. But there is no problem giving it a try, if it appeals to you.

    I find one little trick keeps me on track. I have to know, when I sit down to write a chapter, what that chapter is supposed to accomplish. In a specific sense, I mean.

    In chapter three, I want to introduce the antagonists, let us get to know them as individuals, and make it clear they are the wrong side of the law. In chapter twelve, I want my female protagonist's fiance to make an appearance that disrupts the peace everyone has been enjoying up to that point, and induces her to dump him. In chapter 29, I want the notion that the ranch is vulnerable to attack to be raised once more, even though things seem to be going well for our main character and her family just then, and personal danger is the last thing they're expecting. Etc.

    Each of these chapters is a mini-story, and I tell it that way. Beginning, middle, end. But each end leaves something unfinished or unanswered, which leads to the next chapter. And so on. As long as there is a specific purpose for each chapter, I find it less tempting to wander off on tangents.
     
  5. Stormsong07

    Stormsong07 Contributor Contributor

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    That seems like an excellent method as well, one I had never considered.
     
  6. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I've tried the more detailed structural tools (this one, the snowflake method, and several others) but I never get far with them. I have a general structure in mind, similar to @Tenderiser's, but that's about as far as I get.

    They're great if they work, though!
     
  7. Dracon

    Dracon Contributor Contributor

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    I think the three-act structure works well as a guideline, especially if you're struggling on how to structure your novel. I started writing without too much of a plan, and now in the second draft, my novel of its own accord sorted out into a rough three-act structure. Was that by chance? I don't think so. It's the conventional story-telling method, and I think it is difficult to go wrong following it, but of course there are other ways too, though I'd think it is easier to get lost if you don't have a sure plan. I was thinking idly about this the other day that my book follows a three-act structure with a slightly different format. I have an idea for a sequel, and that interestingly follows a similar structure.

    Act One: Reaction
    In the first Act, your character should be reacting. They are probably more in the dark about the plot than the antagonist is, and they are feeling out what is going on for themselves. Perhaps their actions are dictated by the inciting incident at the start of the novel.

    Act One Climax: Inversion
    A momentum swing at the end of the first act has the main character seize the initiative.

    Act Two: Action
    The reader has greater plot awareness, also reflected in the main character's actions as they think on their own two feet. Perhaps they go questing. That's what happens in my novel. Perhaps they take the battle to the antagonist.

    Act Two Climax: The Initiative Changes Hands
    At the end of Act Two, there might be a curveball that sets the main character up for more problems to solve. (e.g., my novel: the character is successful in retrieving what he was searching for. He believes said object would solve all the problems he's been facing, but it's effect on its own turns out to be rather lacklustre.)
    I threw in additional momentum swing: the initiative changes hands once more, putting a large amount of pressure on the main character to defeat the antagonists.

    Act Three: Build-up and Finale
    This is where the suspense is built up to the climax.
    Then the climax itself, and the resolution. Where the tension is highest, there is often an "all is lost" moment when the character's cause seems hopeless, but they manage to rally.

    Act Three Climax: Resolution
    Fairly self-explanatory.

    There is a lot of room to play around with it, and you'll tweak it to your own advantage, I'm sure. I have no doubt it's a useful guideline though.
     
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  8. OJB

    OJB A Mean Old Man Contributor

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    The irony in your method is that is actually what the 3 Act structure is.

    -

    A lot of people have misconceptions about story structure, but Tendersier's ideology is ultimately the goal that structure wishes to achieve. Structure can be as simple or as complex as the story demands, but, like anything else, it is a tool. Personally, I am not a fan of Steve's Alcorn views on structure, only because he fails to explain the three act structure actually has four parts: Act 1, Act II pre-midpoint, Act II post-midpoint, and Act III (Ever notice how some graphic novels or comic book series are written in four volumes? This is why.)
     
  9. Laurin Kelly

    Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

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    One of my best friends and fellow author swears by the 3-act structure and rarely deviates from it. She writes mostly romantic suspense though, so I think it's more of a good fit for her genre than mine, which is more linear with multiple peaks and valleys along the way.
     
  10. Tenderiser

    Tenderiser Not a man or BayView

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    It achieves the same thing, but it's not so prescriptive and rigid.
     
  11. Iain Sparrow

    Iain Sparrow Banned Contributor

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    In my opinion, it's not a matter of rigidity, or writing formulaic fiction, it's about rhythm.

    Unlike some others on the thread, I do like Steve Alcorn's approach to structure. It's not original, he didn't invent it, he's only imparting a familiar rhythmic arc that a story can follow. A Midsummer Night's Dream, Treasure Island, Lord of the Rings, the best stories seem to employ this same rhythmic arc... who am I to say that it's now out of fashion?
     
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  12. Siena

    Siena Senior Member

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    I don't agree with this analysis, but three act structure is very useful. I recommend learning as much about it (and structure generally) as possible.
     

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