How to use the 3-Act Story Structure in your novel

Though there are many different ways you can structure your novel, the 3-act story structure is one of the oldest and most common, used by novelists, poets and screenwriters to great effect. In fact, once you know what it consists of, it is almost impossible not to notice it when you watch a movie or read a story.

What is the 3-Act Structure?

The 3-act structure was originally used by Aristotle in Poetics, where he theorized that each narrative could be broken down into 3 parts, connected by a moment that propels the story forward. The first act is the Setup, followed by the Confrontation, and the Resolution.

These are as follows:

Act I – Setup: Exposition, Inciting Incident, Break into 2

Act II – Confrontation: Rising Action, Midpoint, Break into 3

Act III – Resolution: Climax, Denouement

Each of these smaller parts can be called a story “beat” – a moment in the plot significant to the story.

Generally, Act I consists of the first 25-30% of a novel, Act II is about 50%, and Act III the remaining 20-25% of the story. This is, of course, a general rule and not absolute.

Act I:  Exposition

The largest portion of Act I is the Exposition. In this section the reader is introduced the main character. Their everyday life, their wants & needs, their struggles. The setting of the story is set up and introduced to the reader as well. This is particularly important in sci-fi and fantasy stories where simply stating the city and date may not be helpful in gaining a sense of the setting.

Act I: Inciting Incident

The inciting incident is the catalyst for the plot. Something has to happen to change the everyday life that we were introduced to in the Exposition. This is the moment where everything they have known turns on its head and launches the plot of the story.

Even though this technically occurs after Exposition, the Incident is sometimes in the very beginning of the story either as a prologue or a revelation of events. In this case, the author often doubles back to a point before the inciting incident to give the readers context before continuing on to Act II.

Act I: Break into 2

You protagonist decides to act. Up until that moment, things have been happening to them and they have been reacting to it. But now the status quo has been disturbed too much for them simply to return to it so they must make the decision to act.

This is a pivotal moment in the story that launches the main part of the story.

Act II: Rising Action

This is the largest section of the novel. This is the part where the story really starts to take shape, and all the different characters and plot points are set up. Your main character will encounter their first obstacles and learn from them, while gaining both allies and enemies. By the end of this part, the protagonist’s goal and the overarching conflict of the story should be clear to the reader.

Act II: Midpoint

At the midpoint, something happens to the protagonist that changes their perception of everything and raises the stakes of the story. This is usually a significant event, and may even broaden the scope of the conflict they had been seeing up until then.

Act II: Break into 3

In light of what happened in the Midpoint, the protagonist of the story has a low moment, where they question their goals and motivations. The events of the midpoint may have thrown them off-course, and they need time to regroup. But in the end, they find the determination to continue their journey. This is the moment where your protagonist might realize that they have the strength necessary to confront the antagonist of the story.

Act III: Climax

The protagonist and the antagonist face off. This may happen in more than one scene, with your protagonist going toe to toe with the antagonist more than once before defeating them. No matter how strong your main character is, their antagonist is stronger and gaining victory against him is not guaranteed. Of course, in the end, they manage to defeat them.

Act III: Denouement

After the Climax, the main character (and reader) takes a moment to breathe as the dust settles. This is an often-overlooked part of the story in novice writers, but an important one. Any leftover loose ends should be tied up, and the tension built up over the last several chapters should be released as the story reaches its resolution. Often this includes an epilogue, where the future of the protagonist is revealed.

This is also a good moment to underscore the main theme of the story.

The 3-Act Story Structure is a technique that is often used by authors, but it is by no means the only one. Whether you decide to use it alone, combine it with another method, or forego it entirely, it is a great tool to understand how stories work. Take what you need from it to write your novel.