The Basics of 3 Act Structure

3 act structure is the standard for the publishing industry so I think every writer should have a good basic understanding of it. Here I break down the plot points and when they should come in your book.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Don’t think of it as a rigid box you have to stuff your story into. The “formula” comes from studying thousands of stories published over hundreds of years. Think of it instead as a set of guidelines to understand what readers (and agents and publishers) expect.

Instead of stressing about whether or not your MS fits this exactly, pick your favorite book and look at what happens around these percentages (divide the total page number by 8 to get the 12.5% points). Are there important turning points in the plot around these percentages?

1. Your story needs a new major plot point every 12.5 % of your total word count.
2. That breaks down like this:

Act I

1% – Hook your reader! This is where you want to show your main character’s normal life, emotional wound, and give hints as to where it came from.

12.5%– Inciting Incident Something happens to disrupt the “normal” world.

25% – 1st Plot Point This can be seen as the climax of the first act, or the point of no return, where everything changes. There’s no turning back now.

Act II

37.5% – First Pinch Point This is where the antagonist exerts new power over the main character.

50% – Midpoint The protagonist realizes they can’t run away anymore and have to fight.

62.5%– Second Pinch Point The antagonist scores another hit against the protagonist and raises the stakes.

75% – Second Plot Point The dark moment, where the protagonist questions everything and from here until the climax begins they cling to their emotional wound.

Act III

87.5 – Climax begins Also known as the “storming of the castle.

98%– Climactic moment The major battle is won (or lost.)

Then the last 2% is tying up loose ends.

Many writers feel constrained by a rigid structure at first. But if you’re having trouble with your pacing, your structure is probably off.

If you’re struggling to break down your story into these beats, download my free resource Harness Your Inner Editor, Drafting 2.0, which includes a 3 Act Structure worksheet.