Three-Act Structure for Novelists
by Kara Lennox

Three-act structure has been around at least as long as the ancient Greeks. As a novelist, you are probably more aware of it than you think. You know that every story has a beginning or set-up, a middle portion in which complications develop, a climax, and a resolution. Why is a book proposal almost always three chapters? Because the end of Chapter Three is usually where the first major turning point takes place, spinning us into a new direction. It's the equivalent of the end of Act I in a movie, and a good place to pause.

Screenwriters have long adhered to the three-act structure. But novelists can certainly make use of it. It's helpful to analyze your story structure in the early stages, using the following guidelines. Not that you can't stray from this structure and still have a riveting novel. But it's best to know and understand this basic story-telling form.

Act I: Set-up

During the first few pages, the mood is set. You know if it's a comedy or a drama. You may even establish some elements of theme, and you'll have introduced at least one of the main characters.

By the end of the first chapter--or the first few chapters in a longer book-- you should definitely establish your main characters, their goals, and what they're up against. The reader should be aware of a story question. Will the guy get the girl? Will the detective catch the murderer? Will the lost child be found safe?

To use one of my favorite movies, TOOTSIE, as an example: In the first few minutes of the movie, we meet Michael and we see his situation--he's such a high-strung actor, no one will hire him. We meet his insecure actress friend and her problems. We meet his agent. We have several comic moments. The story question: Will Michael ever get a job?

At about 25 percent of your way through the book (the end of chapter 3 in a short book), you need a major turning point that propels the action into a new direction. (Michael gets the soap-opera job--posing as a woman.). This stage marks the end of Act I. By this point, all of your main characters should have been introduced, as well as any necessary backstory. (By necessary, I mean any background the reader needs to understand what's going on. This doesn't mean you can't hold back some secrets for later.)

Act II: Confrontation and Complications

In Act II, which takes up about half of the book's total pages (from the 25 percent mark to the 75 percent mark) we have rising action, complications, escalating consequences, higher stakes, a dark moment (we've all heard of that) then, another turning point. The characters learn, grow, and change. In Tootsie, Michael learns of the problems women face. He succeeds as an actress, but his success brings added problems. He gets close to the girl of his dreams, but as her friend rather than her lover, who thinks he/she's a lesbian.. And the girl's father falls in love with him/her. This is truly a dark moment, leading to the next big turning point, where Michael unmasks himself. End of Act II, or three-quarters of the way through the story..

Act III: Resolution

In Act III, we have the climax and the conclusion. This is usually the last 25 percent of the story, though sometimes this act can be shorter. After Michael unmasks on live television, everything hits the fan. Everyone is mad at him. Now he has to go back and fix the damage he's done to others, including the girl of his dreams and her father. All lose threads are tied up. And, because of the character's experiences, he/she can approach life in a different way, and perhaps get a different result. (Because of what Michael has learned about women, he's a better man.

To recap: Act I is 25 percent of your story, Act II the middle 50 percent, and Act III the final 25 percent. When you start analyzing your favorite books, you'll be amazed how many adhere to this structure.

Some particularly good films to watch to learn about three-act structure are STAR WARS, TOOTSIE, BACK TO THE FUTURE, THE AFRICAN QUEEN, THE WIZARD OF OZ, THE FUGITIVE and WITNESS.

You may be wondering about this Act II wasteland, an entire hour during which the hero faces trials, overcomes obstacles only to face new obstacles, etc. etc. It sounds like a grand potential for sagginess. Yes, it is. If you want a couple more signposts, here are some suggestions:

Somewhere near the beginning of Act II, show us the first indications that your characters are changing. At about the halfway point of the book, it's a good place to put "the point of no return," when your main character renews his commitment to his goal--or discovers a new goal. ("As God is my witness, I will never go hungry again."} Toward the end of Act II, you might have the hero give up, only to have salvation come from an unexpected source. (These are just ideas to throw around when you're plotting that tricky Act II--you won't be able to find them in every book or movie.)

Of course, I didn't make any of this stuff up. The guru of three-act structure if Syd Field, author of Screenplay, The Foundations of Screenwriting, which was one of the first, and still one of the best, how-to books on screenwriting. A couple of other books that explain three-act structure are Viki King's How to Write a Movie in 21 Days, and Linda Seger's Making a Good Script Great. All of the wonderful advice in these books can be applied to plotting your novel, too.

Another helpful approach to story structure is to follow Chris Vogler's The Hero's Journey. Although this multi-step blueprint is difficult (for me, at least) to apply to all novels, I find it useful to use parts of it. For example, in the first act, you often show the hero in his normal world, then the call to adventure, the initial refusal to answer the call, then the event that changes the hero's mind and forces him to take up the cause, whatever it is. Then we're introduced to the hero's helpers (fairy godmothers and stuff), crossing the first threshhold, going into the whale's belly, the road of trials, etc. etc. etc. All movies contain at least some of these steps. Recently I was watching Dogma (a pretty silly movie, though it has its moments) and I noticed how closely it followed Vogler's formula. In fact, compare Dogma to The Wizard of Oz. The structures are very, very similar.

Character arc is an essential element of story-telling. Think of your favorite books and movies, and how very, very different the main character is at the end than when he started. (STAR WARS, GONE WITH THE WIND, TOOTSIE, anything by Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Nora Roberts). Often the character learns that what they thought they wanted in the beginning is very different from what they need--and what they ultimately get in the end.

The happy ending is essential to romance novels, and most publishers these days are not looking for downer, tragic endings. Using the three-act structure gives your story a satisfying unity. Even if what you're writing doesn't involve a wedding or a happily-ever-after, there should be a sense of completion, of questions asked and answered, lessons learned.

Whatever you do, don't let three-act structure hamper your creativity. Use it as a tool only. Some people hate it and believe it is the reason we have so many cookie-cutter movies out there. I'm not one of those. I think Western audiences are comfortable with the three-act structure, and that many a fine movie has been crafted using this familiar format. I find it especially useful in the rewriting stages. If something's not working, it often means the structure is out of whack. So play around with it and see what you come up with. Learn it well, and break the rules only if you understand why they're there and have a good reason for doing so.