If your story is starting to feel more like a collection of vibes than a plot with purpose, it might be time to visit the 3 act story structure.
This is for any writer (no matter how many books you’ve done) staring at their WIP wondering:
- “Wait… what’s supposed to happen now?”
- “Why does the middle feel like a marshmallow fight in slow motion?”
- “Did I skip a turning point… or three?”
Whether you’re stuck in Act II, trying to retrofit structure into a half-written draft, or just want to sanity-check your outline, this framework can help.
The three act structure gives your novel the tentpoles it needs to stand up straight—without crushing your creativity in the process. It’s clear, flexible, and honestly? A little bit magic.
What Is the Three Act Structure? (And Why Should You Care?)
The 3 act story structure is your novel’s spine. Its nervous system. Its organizational bestie.
It divides your book into three chunks:
- Act I: The Setup – We meet your main character, see their world, and then shake it up like a snow globe.
- Act II: The Messy Middle – Things go sideways. The stakes rise. People kiss. Or die. Or both.
- Act III: The Climax + Resolution – Time to face the villain, confront the truth, and stick the emotional landing.
Each act has specific beats that push your story forward. When you know what they are, writing feels less like guesswork and more like building a page-turner on purpose.
Want to geek out on other storytelling frameworks too? I’ve got you: check out the storytelling models I recommend for writers and creators (including the one that changed how I write stories for good — hint: It’s a 4 part structure).
What’s in Each Act (And How to Get Unstuck)
ACT I: The Setup (0–25%)
🌀 Emotional Arc: From Safe → Disrupted
This part of the three act structure is your “before picture.” You’re introducing your protagonist and hinting at the problem that will eventually blow their world up. This act grounds your reader while slowly turning up the tension. It answers:
Who is this story about? What do they want? And what’s about to go gloriously wrong?
What to include:
- Opening Image: The tone. The status quo. Think: the breakfast scene before the apocalypse.
- Introduce the Protagonist: What’s broken inside them? What’s their day-to-day fear or flaw? What do they think they want? (But it’s not usually what they need.)
- Hint at the Problem: Drop the breadcrumbs. Let the reader sense that something’s off—even if the character doesn’t.
- Inciting Incident: Boom. Something happens. Their plans, routine, or mental state is shaken.
- Refusal of the Call: Your character resists change. They’ll try to avoid the plot. Cute.
- First Plot Point: The moment they have to step into the story. A line gets crossed. There’s no going back.
🧠 Questions to Ask Yourself:
- What does your character think they want at this point?
- What are they avoiding—and why?
- What’s the first external pressure that knocks them off track?
- What’s the moment they know their life just changed?
If you’re stuck here:
- You’ve written 5,000 beautiful words of backstory but your plot still hasn’t started. Newsflash: your story might actually start in Chapter 3. Go find the inciting incident and build from there.
- Still writing backstory in Chapter 4? Time to kill your darlings. (Thanks Stephen King. And if you haven’t read On Writing, go do that now.) Backstory belongs in sprinkles, not paragraphs.
- Not sure your inciting incident is strong enough? Ask: does it change what your character thought they were doing with their life?
ACT II: The Confrontation (25–75%)
🔥 Emotional Arc: From Confused → Broken → Determined
Welcome to the plot jungle. This is where most writers get stuck—and for good reason. The middle is messy. But here’s your cheat code: Act II is really two parts, divided by a powerful midpoint that shifts everything.
Here’s the secret: Act II isn’t one long stretch of rising action. It’s two distinct halves, with a midpoint in the center. When you break it that way, everything makes more sense. (And this is the essence of the four part structure I mentioned, which is a more detailed version of the three act structure.)
Act II, Part A (25–50%) – The Reaction Phase
Your character is reacting to the new world, new goal, and new stakes. They’re trying, but not fully transformed yet.
- Entering a New World: Literally or metaphorically, things are different now. New goals. New people. New rules.
- Enemies and Allies: Introduce your side characters, mentors, villains, and frenemies. Who’s helping? Who’s hindering?
- Struggles & Mini-Wins: Let your character fail. Let them win something small. This is your “fun and games” section where they try but don’t truly understand the stakes yet.
- First Pinch Point: A reminder of the threat. Maybe the villain makes a move. Maybe a friend betrays them. Either way, tension spikes.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
- How does your protagonist feel about the new world?
- What skills do they still lack that they’ll need later?
- Who challenges their beliefs the most?
If you’re stuck here:
- You’re still writing discovery scenes, but nothing has real consequences yet. Time to give your character problems with teeth.
- You’re introducing fun side characters, but they’re not challenging your protagonist’s beliefs. Make someone poke the flaw.
- You’re being too nice. Conflict should keep escalating, even in the lighter moments. Make your protagonist earn those wins.
MIDPOINT (50%) – The Mirror Moment
🧨 Emotional Arc Shift: From Passive → Active
Everything pivots here. This is the moment your protagonist goes from reacting to choosing.
They see the cost. The illusion breaks. They understand what’s really at stake. They commit (or recommit) to their goal—but now, it’s personal. Their worldview cracks open. This can be a twist, a revelation, or even a mirror scene where they confront who they’ve become.
Midpoints are emotional and story-altering. This is your story’s emotional hinge. The entire second half builds off this choice or discovery.
Questions to Ask:
- What’s the truth your character can no longer ignore?
- What do they choose, now that they know more?
- How does this moment raise the emotional stakes?
If you’re stuck here:
- If you’re struggling with “what happens next,” try writing your midpoint first. It’s the emotional driver for the rest of the book.
- You might need to go back to Act I and clarify what they thought was true—so you can rip it apart here.
- If your character is still being dragged along by the plot instead of actively making choices—it’s not a midpoint, it’s just more mush.
- You might be trying to “keep the twist for later.” Nope. This is the moment for the gut punch.
Act II, Part B (50–75%) – The Action Phase
Your protagonist is no longer just riding the rollercoaster—they’re trying to take the controls. Making moves. They have a goal, a purpose, and some battle scars. (But it’s not going to go smoothly.)
- Strategic Moves: They make a plan. They chase down the goal. They think they’re ready.
- Second Pinch Point: They’re not. The antagonist shows up again—stronger, scarier, or sneakier.
- It All Goes Sideways: Plans fail. Secrets come out. Everything the protagonist thought would work… doesn’t.
- Second Plot Point (aka The “All Is Lost” Moment): The emotional low point. The betrayal. The death. The failure. Whatever it is, it breaks them wide open.
Questions to Ask:
- What flaw or fear is stopping your protagonist from winning?
- How does the villain challenge your protagonist’s values?
- What gets lost—or who—right before Act III?
If you’re stuck here:
- If you’re stalling here, your midpoint may not be strong enough. Revisit it. Make the commitment cost something. Raise the stakes, emotionally and externally.
- Not sure how to fix it? Revisit your villain. What’s their goal—and how is it clashing harder with your protagonist’s now? Remember, your villain is the hero in their own story. How do you get them what they want? Take a look at this character arc template and give your villain one.
ACT III: The Resolution (75–100%)
💥 Emotional Arc: From Broken → Empowered
Your protagonist has been tested, broken, and rebuilt. Now it’s time to earn the ending. This act delivers on your book’s emotional promise—whatever journey you started in Act I, it needs to land here.
What to include:
- Rally & Resolve: They might still be broken, but now they’re ready. Maybe they get a pep talk. Maybe they make peace with their flaw. Either way, they commit to the final confrontation.
- Climax (The Final Battle): This is the moment everything hinges on. Whether it’s a literal fight, a courtroom showdown, or a romantic grand gesture—it needs stakes, sacrifice, and change.
- Victory (Or Defeat): Show us what winning costs. It shouldn’t be easy. Let us feel the emotional weight.
- Final Image: Echo your opening. How has your protagonist changed? What truth have they embraced? This moment tells the reader: you made it. This story mattered.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
- What’s the emotional truth your character finally embraces?
- How have their choices changed?
- What sacrifice do they make at the end?
If you’re stuck here:
- If your ending feels flat, revisit what your character really needed to learn. The climax should be them finally putting that lesson into action.
- Does your final image reflect your opening image? Can we see the transformation?
- Endings aren’t just about resolution—they’re about resonance. If your final scene doesn’t feel different from your opening, you may have skipped the emotional payoff.
Copy/Paste This Outline of the Three Act structure
Here is the high level overview that you can copy and paste where ever you want.
📩 Send this right to your email now. Scroll below:
ACT I: The Setup (0%–25%)
- Opening Image: The mood. The vibe. The status quo.
- Introduce the Protagonist: Flaws, fears, goals. Make us care.
- Inciting Incident: Something big changes. This kicks off the story.
- Refusal of the Call: “No thanks,” says your character. LOL, too bad.
- First Plot Point: The Point of No Return. Ordinary life? Officially over.
ACT II: The Confrontation (25%–75%)
- New World, New Rules: The character navigates the unfamiliar.
- Pinch Point #1: Reminder of the antagonist’s power.
- Midpoint: Huge twist or realization. The shift from reactive to active.
- Pinch Point #2: Things go even more wrong. Crisis incoming.
- Second Plot Point: Dark Night of the Soul. Hope feels lost. Time to dig deep.
ACT III: The Resolution (75%–100%)
- Final Push: Your protagonist faces the Big Bad.
- Climax: The ultimate showdown. Truth, sacrifice, growth.
- Final Image: Echo the opening. Show how everything’s changed.
Structure Doesn’t Kill Creativity. It Frees It.
You don’t have to write your book in order. You don’t have to plot everything before you draft. But if you’re drowning in scenes and can’t see the shape of your story—structure is your life raft.
This isn’t about writing “by the rules.” It’s about understanding the beats that make stories feel finished. The moments that help readers fall in love with your character. The rhythm that helps you stop rewriting Chapter Twelve for the 47th time.
The 3 act story structure is here to help your novel show up for work. So. What’s your midpoint twist? What’s your Final Image?
I’d love to hear what you’re working on. When you see my name in your inbox with your copy-paste-ready three act structure text, drop a reply and tell me your biggest problem with your WIP.
Now go write something. Your draft won’t write itself.
