3 act

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The Three-Act Structure:
3 Steps to a Powerful
Story Structure.
The three-act structure is perhaps the most common
technique in the English-speaking world for plotting stories
— widely used by screenwriters and novelists. It digs deep
into the popular notion that a story must have a beginning,
middle, and end and goes even further, de
fi
ning speci
fi
c plot
events that must take place at each stage.
We dissect the three acts and each of their plot points —
using three-act structure examples from popular culture to
illustrate each point.
Let’s begin! In three, two, one...

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What is the three-act structure?
The three-act structure is a model used in narrative
fi
ction
that divides a story into three parts (or acts), often called the
Setup, the Confrontation, and the Resolution. An old
dramatic principle, the three-act structure can be traced
back to Aristotle’s Poetics, in which he de
fi
nes it as one of
the
fi
ve key elements of tragedy.
According to Aristotle, each act should be bridged by a beat
that sends the narrative in a different direction. His belief
was that stories must be a chain of cause-and-effect beats:
each scene must lead into what happens next and not be a
standalone "episode."
Now that we know the three-act structure, let’s dive into how
it works.

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Common story beats in the three-act
structure
To help us better understand writers might use this structure
to construct a story, we’ll need to dig deeper into what
makes up each of the acts. Here is what you’ll
fi
nd in the
three-act structure:
• Act 1. Setup: Exposition, Inciting Incident, Plot Point
One
• Act 2. Confrontation: Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point
Two
• Act 3. Resolution: Pre-Climax, Climax, Denouement
To help you see this structure in action, we’ll use 1939’s The
Wizard of Oz as an example as we unpack all nine story
beats.
Act One: The Setup
Despite being one of three sections in a plot, Act One
typically lasts for the
fi
rst quarter of the story.

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Dorothy dreams of going somewhere else in Act One of The Wizard
of Oz (image: Warner Bros.)
Exposition
The exposition is all about setting the stage. The reader (or
audience) should get an idea of:
• who your protagonist is,
• what their everyday life is like,
• and what’s important to them.
Of course, nobody’s life is perfect — so the exposition
should give readers a sense of the main character's current
desires and the challenges that prevent them from getting
what they want in life
Example: Dorothy dreams of somewhere over the
rainbow
In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s home life in Kansas forms
the bulk of the exposition. We see that her family are hard-
working farmers and that she has a dog she cares for called
Toto. We learn that Dorothy feels misunderstood and under-
appreciated.

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Inciting Incident
This is the catalyst that sets the protagonist’s adventure in
motion. The inciting incident is a crucial beat in the three-act
story structure: without it, the story in question wouldn’t
exist. The inciting incident proposes a journey to the
protagonist that could help them change their situation and
achieve their goal.
Author and editor Kristen Kieffer suggests asking yourself
the following questions to help you craft the inciting incident:
• How is my protagonist dissatis
fi
ed with their life?
• What would it take for my protagonist to
fi
nd
satisfaction? (This is their goal).
• What are my protagonist’s biggest fears and character
fl
aws?
• How would the actions that my protagonist needs to
take to
fi
nd satisfaction force them to confront their
fears and/or
fl
aws?
The catalyst is often called the “call to adventure” and asks
your protagonist to push themselves out of their comfort
zone. This is where Luke Skywalker receives a distress call
from Princess Leia, where Tony Stark is captured by
terrorists at the start of Iron Man.
Will the protagonist rise to the challenge, or will they “resist
the call” to adventure? After all, going on this journey will
have consequences for themselves and those around them.
What’s at stake if they fail?

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Depending on the character, and their core fears and
fl
aws,
you may need to dedicate a few scenes to raise the stakes
so that the character has no choice but to accept.
Example: A twister takes Dorothy on an adventure
Dorothy runs away from home and encounters a professor
who encourages her to go home. Upon her return, a tornado
causes Dorothy to be struck in the head by a window. Her
home has been whisked off to the Land of Oz when she
wakes up.
Plot Point One
It’s full speed ahead now! No more hemming and hawing for
your character: the First Plot Point represents the
protagonist’s decision to engage with whatever action the
inciting incident has created. It’s when Bilbo Baggins
decides to join Gandalf and the band of dwarves for an epic
adventure in The Hobbit.

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In some stories, the Inciting Incident and Plot Point One
happen in the same scene. For instance, in The Hunger
Games, Katniss Everdeen’s sister is selected as a ‘tribute’ in
the titular games (inciting incident), and Katniss immediately
volunteers to take her place (plot point one).
Think of the First Plot Point as the springboard that
launches your character into Act Two.
Example: Dorothy chooses to ease on down the road
Frightened and confused, Dorothy wants to go home and is
told by Glinda the Good Witch that the only way is to follow
the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City where The
Wizard lives. Dorothy decides to follow the road, and it’s
established the Wicked Witch will try to stop her.
Act Two: Confrontation
Typically the longest of all three sections: Act Two usually
comprises the second and third quarters of the story.

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Dorothy and friends travel down the Yellow Brick Road in Act Two of
The Wizard of Oz (image: Warner Bros.)
Rising Action
Here’s the part where Dorothy waltzes down the Yellow
Brick Road to meet Oz who sends her home without a hitch,
right?
Nope. This is the part where the protagonist’s journey — or
the pursuit of their goal — begins to take form and where
they also
fi
rst encounter roadblocks. The protagonist gets to
know their new surroundings and starts understanding the
challenges that lay before them. This is the part of the story
where you should better acquaint readers with the rest of
the cast (both friends and foes) and the primary antagonist.
You will also elaborate on the story’s overarching con
fl
ict
(whether it’s a person or a thing).
As the protagonist learns more about the road ahead, they’ll
change and adapt to have a better chance of achieving their
goal. In this way, the main character is usually more
reactionary than proactive in the Rising Action phase.
Example: Dorothy makes friends and discovers
roadblocks
Dorothy meets the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and Lion. They
travel down the Yellow Brick Road, where they encounter
obstacles such as apple-throwing trees and sleep-inducing
poppies.
Midpoint
It’s no big surprise that the Midpoint takes place at…
drumroll, please… the middle of the story! A signi
fi
cant

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event should occur here, usually involving something going
horribly wrong.
Return to the protagonist’s main goal to establish what this
Midpoint event should be. What must happen for them to
feel that their goal is being directly threatened? What could
make the character even more acutely aware of the stakes
at hand?
Example: The Gang meets up with The Wizard
Dorothy
fi
nally reaches the Emerald City and meets with
The Wizard, who is a big disappointment. He initially refuses
to meet with them, and when he eventually does, he
declines to help them until they bring him the Wicked
Witch’s broomstick.
Plot Point Two
Our poor protagonist has fallen on hard times. They thought
they were making headway on their goal, and then the
Midpoint came and threw them off their rhythm.
Give them some time to re
fl
ect on the story’s con
fl
ict here.
The aftermath of the Midpoint crisis will force the protagonist
to pivot from being a “passenger” to a more proactive force
to be reckoned with. You might want to plan a sequence
where the main character’s resolve is bolstered through
productive progress on their journey’s goal. Think of Plot
Point Two as the pep talk your character needs to stand up
straight and get ready to meet their antagonist head-on.
They’ll need this con
fi
dence to handle what comes next…

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Example: The decision to face the Wicked Witch
Dorothy must decide whether to risk heading to the Wicked
Witch’s castle or give up on her chance of going home. She
and her companions decide to confront the witch.
Act Three: Resolution
The
fi
nal act typically takes up a quarter of the story — often
less.
The Wicked Witch melts into a puddle in Act Three of The Wizard of
Oz (image: Warner Bros.)
Pre-Climax
Even the strongest knight has weak spots in their armor:
their deep-rooted fears and
fl
aws. As the protagonist has

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been gearing up to meet the antagonist head-on, their main
foe has also been getting stronger and is now ready for
battle.
Also called “The Dark Night of the Soul,” the pre-climax
starts with the
fi
nal clash between the protagonist and the
antagonist. We’ve experienced the entire journey with the
main character — but this is where we get our
fi
rst glimpse
of the antagonist’s true strength, which usually catches the
main character off guard. Even though most readers know
that the protagonist typically wins the day, we should have
some doubt here about how the last act will play out and if
the main character will be okay.
Example: All seems to be lost
While on the way to the Wicked Witch’s castle, Dorothy is
captured. The Witch
fi
nds out that the ruby slippers can’t be
taken against Dorothy’s will while she’s alive, so she sets an
hourglass and threatens that Dorothy will die when it runs
out.
Climax
The climax signi
fi
es the
fi
nal moments of the story’s
overarching con
fl
ict. Since the antagonist has just hit the
protagonist where it hurts in the previous beat, the
protagonist has to lick their wounds. Then they face off
again, and the main character
fi
nally ends the con
fl
ict.
The climax itself is normally contained to a single scene,
while the pre-climax typically lasts longer and might stretch
over a sequence of events.

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Example: “I’m melting!”
Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the Scarecrow, who
has been set alight. She ends up accidentally dousing the
Witch, who melts into a puddle. The guards hand the
Witch’s broom to Dorothy.
Denouement
Finally, the dust settles. If the protagonist’s goal is not
immediately obtained during the Climax, the denouement is
where this should be achieved (or rede
fi
ned, if their goal
changed during Act Three). Along with this, the denouement
should also:
• Ful
fi
ll any promises made to the reader.
• Tie up signi
fi
cant loose ends,
• Underscore the theme, and
• Release the tension built up during the climactic
sequences of events.
Example: Everyone gets what they need
The Scarecrow receives a diploma, the Tin Man receives a
“heart,” and the Lion receives a medal of valor. The Good
Witch explains that Dorothy has always had the power to go
home; she just didn’t tell her earlier because she wouldn’t
have believed it. Dorothy taps her ruby slippers and heads
back to Kansas to greet her family lovingly.

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When should you use it?
The three-act structure is just one way to think about a story,
so writers shouldn’t feel limited. The bene
fi
t of using the
three-act structure is that it will help ensure that every scene
starts and end with a clear purpose and direction. Even if
you don't start outlining your novel with it, if you
fi
nd yourself
struck by pacing issues, it's often useful to
fi
t your story into
the three-act structure to see why that might be.