Three Act Storyby Jodi F. Gottlieb The following article first appeared in the February 2006 issue of the LARA Confidential, the newsletter of the Los Angeles Romance Authors chapter of RWA. It may be reused by sister RWA chapters with proper credit. To build a house, you must start from the ground up. No other way to do it. Once you have a solid foundation, a strong basic structure, only then can you put in the walls, windows, plaster, paint, plumbing, curtains, furniture and knick-knacks to make it your own. Our stories, too, must be built from the ground up. This foundation is Story Structure. I am a disciple of Robert McKee, bow to the God of the Three Act Story, and worship the commandments handed down since the first caveman sat around the campfire to grunt about his day. As long as a story has a beginning, middle and an end, it must fall into the classic structure in order to work. Using movie examples, a story can be told in flashbacks ("Godfather, Pt. II"), backwards ("Memento"), sideways ("Crash" opens at the end of Act II), or inside out ("Pulp Fiction"), but every story can be broken down into Act I, Act II, and Act III. If you can't do that with your book, you've got problems. I know, I know. Shakespeare's masterpieces were written in five acts. But even they can be broken down to the 3-Act Structure. Back when people would sit through long productions (and men played women's parts), they were performed in five acts. These days, most productions are edited and performed in three acts, sometimes even two. Perhaps you're thinking an article or novella is too short for three acts. As long as you have an introduction, twists, and a conclusion, it has three acts. (The above was Act I of this article.) Structure is the building blocks on which to base a story. Only after you know the rules can you break them. Let's examine it in its simplest form. Act I -- The Introduction. This is where we meet the characters; find out the objectives and conflicts. Our heroine meets the hero, keeps a secret, pushes him away, or teams up with him to solve a problem. In You've Got Male by Elizabeth Bevarly, we meet Avery, the computer genius agoraphobic, and Tanner, the rugged agent of a super secret government investigative bureau. He needs Avery's help to stop a devastating computer virus from taking over the world and to capture a rogue agent. She doesn't want to help him. Can't. She can't leave her home. Act II -- Conflicts. This is the longest part of the book, movie, or article. Also, the most difficult. This is where all the good -- and bad - stuff happens. The story turns further away from the ultimate goals. Characters make choices, put up barriers, and get into situations conspiring to keep them apart. If they solve one problem, another is thrown in their way. Emotions change. A crisis forces a decision. At the end of this act is the Black Moment when all hope is lost. Tanner has dragged Avery out of her apartment, catatonic. He just might have to arrest her but starts to understand her terror. Some cajoling, pleading and threats later, they end up at her estranged family's estate. Levels of jeopardy increase. Her distaste for him fades and she admits, to herself anyway, how much she likes him. A night of passion brings them closer but she knows she can't keep him. How can a woman who can't leave her apartment ever hope to hold on to a man who can't stay? Act III -- Conclusion. Problems are overcome. Characters are saved from danger. True feelings are revealed. Lovers fall into each other's arms and ride off into the Happily Ever After. Avery and Tanner figure out the nasty plan, stop the computer virus, and reveal the culprit. Tanner swears he will always be there to protect her and Avery can face the tentative steps she will need to take to go outside. Promises are made and a future is assumed. A bit about page count. Act I is roughly 25% of the story, Act II, 50%, Act III, 25%. For example, in a 400-page book, Act I will be 100 pages, Act II, 200 pages, Act III, 100 pages. It won't always end up exactly to the page. Start with a bang and Act I may only be 50-60 pages. If your Act II is full of plot points, discoveries and epiphanies, your last act may only have to be 30-50 pages. There is some room to move. (That was Act II.) Unfortunately, this space only allows barely a surface glance at this intricate subject. No room to mention character arcs, thematic structure, sequences, plot points, sub-plots, beats, rhythm and so much more. If you can, run, don't walk, to the 3-day seminar on Story Structure given by Robert McKee in cities across the country. What you learn there will give you a solid foundation for the rest of your story life. Or you can read his book, "Story." (And that was Act III.) ------- Jodi F. Gottlieb writes for television and is co-author of the non-fiction industry book, "TV: Sex, Lies & Promos." She teaches actors to understand and interpret the words on the page at UCLA and privately. She is currently rewriting her fourth contemporary romance, "Falling in Like," tearing it apart and rebuilding it one act at a time.
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