Plot Your Novel | The Three-Act Structure

Every captivating story has a hidden blueprint—a structure that guides its narrative flow, builds tension, and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. If you're an aspiring writer, understanding the fundamentals of storytelling is essential to crafting compelling narratives.

There are many story structures you can choose when plotting your novel. To name a few, you can choose:

• Three-Act Structure

• Seven Point Plot Structure

• Freytag's Pyramid

• The Hero's Journey

• Save the Cat

These are some of the most popular options for plotting fiction novels, but there are many other structures you can follow.

Today, we're going to start with one of the oldest story structures: The Three-Act Structure.

Throughout history, from ancient Greek dramas to modern blockbuster films, the Three-Act Structure has been a cornerstone of storytelling. It provides a framework for organizing plotlines, character arcs, and dramatic tension, allowing writers to create narratives that resonate with audiences on an emotional level. If you're new to plotting a novel, this is also a great place to start!

The Breakdown

The Three-Act Structure is split into three parts:

1. Act One: The Setup

2. Act Two: The Confrontation

3. Act Three: The Resolution

Each Act contains three major plot points:

ACT ONE

• Exposition

• Inciting Incident

• Plot Point 1

ACT TWO

• Rising Action

• Midpoint

• Plot Point 2

ACT THREE

• Pre-Climax

• Climax

• Denouement

Using the Three-Act Structure for Pacing

Looking at how neatly these nine plot points fit into the three acts, you may assume each of these acts takes up an equal portion of the story.

However, Act One and Act Three each take up about 25% of the story length respectively. Act Two is the biggest act, taking up about 50% of the story.

In terms of pacing, the layout of the three act structure would look more like this:

For example, if you had a book with 32 scenes and aligned the pacing of the story with the Three-Act Structure:

• Act One: Scenes 1-8

• Act Two: Scenes 9-24

• Act Three: Scenes 25-32

From there, you could break down each act further and figure out when each major plot point should happen.

This can be helpful for new writers who are struggling with the pacing of their story, but keep in mind, this is just a framework. Using a plot structure is a great way to plan out the story, but once the writing process begins, stay flexible and let your story take shape.

Act One: The Setup

The first act of your story will consist of about 25% of your novel and consist of three major plot points:

• Exposition | starting from the beginning of the story

• Inciting Incident | 12% mark

• Plot Point 1 | 25% mark

Exposition

We open the story with exposition, which involves giving a full picture of what this character's life is like and establishing the status quo at this moment in the story.

The exposition serves a few major purposes:

• Pull the reader in with a hook that piques their interest

• Set the stage for the character's world and normal life

• Introduce the main character and make them likeable or interesting to the reader

• Hint at the issues in the character's world or foreshadow conflict to come

Inciting Incident

After we've introduced the character and their status quo, we encounter the inciting incident. This is the event that first involves the protagonist with the major conflict of the story. At this point, they are not yet fully immersed in the story conflict or this new world, but have become aware of it and may have a decision to make.

Plot Point 1

At this point, the protagonist has been introduced to the new world or conflict, has taken time to decide whether or not they want to accept the journey ahead, and is now leaving their old world behind, beginning the major events of the story. Leaving their old world behind doesn't have to be literal, it just has to involve the character making a decision within themselves to take a certain path.

Act Two: The Confrontation

The second act takes up most of your novel and will take place from about the 25% mark to the 75% mark. This act consists of three major plot points:

• Rising Action | starting after the first plot point

• Midpoint | 50% mark

• Plot Point 2 | 75% mark

Rising Action

In the first plot point, the character stepped into this new world - whether literally or figuratively - and will now encounter new obstacles, meet new allies, and make new enemies. The character is adapting to this new phase, reacting to challenges and information that come their way, still unsteady on their feet. This portion of the story serves to push the character out of their comfort zone and to acclimate them to this new world or new way of being.

Midpoint

We've reached the midway point of the story, where our character has begun to change from the person we first met at the beginning of the story. The protagonist is beginning to settle into this new world when a plot twist takes them by surprise. They learn of something that changes everything for them, raising the stakes and causing them to reflect on their goals and what they want.

Plot Point 2

This plot point changes the direction of the story again as the protagonist has a revelation, causing them to shift from being reactive to being proactive. The character begins to build confidence in their ability to face the antagonistic force ahead.

Act Three: The Resolution

The second act takes up most of your novel and will take place from about the 25% mark to the 75% mark. This act consists of three major plot points:

• Pre-Climax | starting after the second plot point

• Climax | % mark

• Denouement | % mark

Pre-Climax

After building confidence in themselves and becoming proactive in the story, the character faces their biggest setback yet. This point revolves around a physical and emotional setback where the protagonist reflects on how they got here.

Climax

All the events of the story build to this moment, where the tension continues to rise to its highest point. At this point in the story, stakes are at their highest as everything leads here. The character faces the antagonist force, and finally defeats them.

Denouement

The conclusion of the story, where all loose ends are tied up, and our character is forever changed.

Do You Need to Use a Plot Structure?

While the Three-Act Structure offers a solid framework, it's not a formula set in stone. It's just one of many tools at your disposal!