3 act structure is the standard for the publishing industry so I think every writer should have a good basic understanding of it. But once you’ve learned 3 Act Structure, it’s important to go beyond it–to go beyond the Hero’s Journey, the Heroine’s Journey, the Snowflake Method, and all of the structures which do not correlate exactly, but are similar to 3-Act Structure in that they all start with a main character who has a want, they have an obstacle to getting that want, something pushes them out of their comfort zone, they go out of the normal world, and after defeating the antagonist they return changed at the end.) Once you look outside 3-Act Structure, there are some really interesting structures that we don’t see as often in US and UK publishing, but that are just as valid for writing.
The last few years, I’ve been digging into story structures to learn more about what is out there besides 3 act structure. My word nerd side loves this, and I highly recommend doing some research on your own.
A great place to start is with @writingtheother. I took a great class there with @henrylien author about non-Western storytelling structures, and I can’t recommend it enough!
5 Notes About Going Beyond 3 Act Structure
1. 3 Act Structure is the standard for publishing in the English language market. But it’s not the only valid structure.
2. There’s a growing movement to understand and include other narrative structures in publishing as well.
3. Worldwide, many cultures have their own narrative structures, including Indigenous, African, Caribbean, Asian, and Pacific Island communities.
4. Examples include East Asian 4-Act, Indigenous Braided Narrative, Bollywood, Epic Verse, Frame, and so many more!
5. Studying non-3 act structures not only raises awareness of them (and will hopefully bring more books using them into the world) but can also help you deepen your own understanding of story.
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If you’re working on your own story, and you’re still working on 3 Act Structure and you’re struggling to break down your story into story beats, download my free resource Harness Your Inner Editor, Drafting 2.0, which includes a 3 Act Structure worksheet.
If you’re ready for the NEXT STEPS in your revisions, or if you want to get your manuscript into shape quickly, you can check out my brand new resource, Top Down Revising: A Quick Start
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As always, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter, Instagram, or via the contact sheet link above on the website if you have any questions about 3 Act Structure or any other writing topics. I love to chat with writers!
