I: THE FIRST ACT: Main characters and the Incident--The first act is to establish main characters, their relationships, and their place and time--"begin where the story begins." I had a terrible habit to break-- in which I felt I should explain and describe the coming story to the reader. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The opening is the "hook," and it bodes well if we spend some time working on that very first sentence or paragraph.
Throughout the first act, the main character is involved in or aware of some incident that leads to a turning point. This turning point ensure the main character's life will never be the same, that he will confront this issue until the end of the story. He has a problem, an enemy, or a question to solve, and his life now revolves around such an issue.
II: THE SECOND ACT: Action and Character Development--During the second act, the main character finds himself confronted with some entity that appears to thwart his goal. This may be in the form of a person, force of nature, or even an internal personal problem. In fact, the main character cannot solve the problem easily because he might not have the skills to do so. He must go through a learning process to repair his predicament. In doing so, he may need the help of another character in the form of another major character or a mentor.
III: THE THIRD ACT: Climax and Resolution--Now, during the third act, the main characters reach a turning point, intensifying tensions and reaching a conclusion. The character, as well as any others connected to him, find their way, a new direction, or a new life.
****This is a simplified version of many
articles and books written on the subject. This much is the skeleton framework I try to follow, and I
find it amazing that often a story naturally takes this route. In a romance novel, the skeleton
framework is boy meets girl, boy and girl face dissension and part, and boy and
girl make up and live happily ever after.
Starr Bright: a novella in three acts.Act II: Conrad steels himself to act casual and uninterested in her as he rides to her ranch. A man with a small herd of horses to sell is soon to arrive, and Conrad promised Starr to be there. She doesn't seem to need help selecting the horses, so why does she want him there? He soon learns the reason. The seller is a Spaniard as Starr is a Spaniard. The visiting man wants more from her than to sell his stock. Conrad intervenes, violence ensues, but when the visitor leaves, so does Conrad.
Act III: Alone, Starr decides to ride to Conrad's ranch and visit. The visit doesn't go according to her plan, so she returns home to wait...and wonder. Conrad, though, now understands his deep feelings for Starr and decides what he wants from her and hopes she wants the same thing.
~~*~~Excerpt:
Starr laughed low in her throat. "Oh, I don't think I'll need a man to make the decision for me. I know all about stallions, or studs, as you say. However, I have asked Mr. Taylor here to accompany and advise me."
Conrad remained silent. You did? You asked me to advise you?
He wanted to laugh, but in truth, he was enormously pleased.
With no expression, he nodded slightly to her. "Be glad to help."
There was that tiny smile again, the one that was teasing, while at the same time a little sarcastic. Truth be known, he'd probably crawl through the burning fires of hell to get to her.
~~*~~
AMAZON LINK: Starr Bright--a 99cent novella.
http://tinyurl.com/pwg8jdx
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/celiayeary
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Celia, Starr Bright is one of my favorites among your stories. The characters are so well developed that readers have no trouble slipping into their skin. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteThanks for condensing the three-act structure. That's never made sense to me, but now that I think about it, my stories DO seem to follow that pattern (even though I think about stories in terms of another system). Thank you for this excellent post. :-)
I'd love to hear about your other system. I never actually stop and think about the 3-act play system. I'm certain some of my books are pretty close, but I imagine some are way off base. Thanks so much for Sharing the post on FB. I'm glad you liked Starr Bright.
DeleteGood advice on plotting, Celia. Simple to follow and straight to the point. I've never been impressed with the "hero's journey" process althought it works for some authors. Good excerpt, too. Starr has always been one of your most interesting characters. I was glad to see her find her soul mate.
DeleteHi, Linda--I liked Starr even when she was in All My Hopes and Dreams, and had too many ulterior motives which were not in the best interest of other. Not, she has her own man...her soul mate.
DeleteWell said, Celia. You're spot on. Best of luck with the novella. I'm looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteTanya...I would be pleased if you read Starr Bright. I would take about 15-20 minutes.
DeleteThanks, Celia. I do this almost instinctively, now, but I appreciate the reminder of how to make the story work.
ReplyDeleteHi, Tracy..I'm surprised by how many authors don't think about this concept. But I see that most do write in this manner naturally. Thanks for visiting.
DeleteNice blog, Celia. It's good to be reminded of how a story should be written. Keeps the 1-2-3 on course for an interesting read. Star Bright sounds really good. Best wishes on the book.
ReplyDeleteHi, C.A.--Starr Bright is a short read, but I know these characters from other books. Have you done that? So, I knew from the beginning how they would act...and react. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteI think, due to all the years in theater, my instinct was toward the three act structure. Doesn't mean I did it well, but when you're around something so much it invades your DNA. (Smile). Loved the post and points well taken. Doris McCraw/Angela Raines-author
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely...I agree. Writing in three acts is almost instinctive. I did it early on, not even knowing what the heck I was doing! Thanks for commenting.
DeleteY'all are in for a treat, because Celia has a re-release of her novel ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS coming in January--and this is where you will meet Starr for the first time--and in a very different context! We are so thrilled to have Celia's characters here at PRP and grateful for their entertainment!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Celia.
Cheryl
How great is that? Celia, you sly dog -- sneaking that in on us.
DeleteCheryl and Kathleen..Oh, my goodness, I forgot that ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS will be released soon! I'm so excited. Remember, Starr, in this novel, was young and lonely and a little bit "bad." But she grew up and finds her own man in Starr Bright.
DeleteCelia, you explained this 3 act concept beautifully. For a very long time I, too, had a problem of writing too much backstory in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI love all your stories, but to date, Starr Bright is my favorite. I'm looking forward to reading All My Hopes And Dreams. Can't wait to see what Starr does all grown up.
Sarah--I hope some think this way....those who read the early All M Hopes and Dreams and were introduced to a young brash Starr. Now, she has a different perspective all around....in Starr Bright.
DeleteCelia,
ReplyDeleteGreat primer on the three-act structure. It's always good to go back to the basics every once in a while just to keep the storytelling sharp.
Hey, thanks, Keena...I'm glad you've joined the PRP family!
DeleteI've always appreciated this three act formula. I think the first time I actually became aware of it was when I was a kid watching the old Star Trek series. That was always how they structured the show. Start with the dilemma or hook in the first five minutes and then use the rest of the show to show the conflict and then the resolution. Much easier to engage the audience quickly than to try to pull them in in the middle of a slowly developing dilemma where no time is left for a satisfying resolution. Pacing is everything. Nice post, Celia.
ReplyDelete