Three-Act Structures and The Seven Essential Plot Points

Been working on writing a bit more. Still not quite where I want to be in terms of my spark that I'm looking for again. But every bit is helping.

"Plans are nothing; planning is everything." --Dwight D. Eisenhower

Planning is an essential part to storytelling, regardless of if it's through writing, film, theatre, etc. No one in the fanfiction writing community gets this, and just decides to write crap they make up as they go along. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if you want to create a fic that makes it to the front page and into the Featured Box, or even further, into Equestria Daily, you need to invest a lot more than just winging it.

Let me preface this by saying I have not made it to Equestria Daily. However, all three of my non-cancelled fics have been Featured at least once, sometimes up to four times. It's not that I'm any better than the next guy; it's that I can honestly say I put a lot more into my story than I'd wager the average fanfiction writer does. I'm just here to impart my experience to help you guys, especially those new to writing.

So! A basic planning tool to help you structure your story.

Anyway, three-act structures. Whether you realize it or not, most great stories will fall into this design, both for each of its episodes if applicable, to the work as a whole, and it typically matches up with the Seven Plot Elements of Story-Telling. You have the Exposition, the Inciting Incident, Rising Action, the Climax, the Falling Action, the Resolution, and the Denouement. Usually, these are split into the first 2.5 in Act 1, the next .4 or so covering all of act 2. and the remaining 4.1 covering Act 3.

For instance, in Star Wars 4, Act 1 covers from the beginning to about the time they travel to Mos Eisley, taking us through a bit of the rising action. Then, Act 2 begins with Mos Eisley and ends with the Death Star escape, and Act 3 begins with the arrival on Yavin 4 and runs to the end. Star Wars 5, beginning to departure from Hoth, departure to Luke's arrival on Cloud City, thence to the end.

In some cases, it's fairly easy to see and predict, simply based on format. The Star Wars Original Trilogy gave us a different act per world. In others, like the Letdowns Prequels, not so much.

So, why am I telling you this? To help you guys out. This helps to structure your stories into three specific areas which make them easy to build. With each act, you have plot points that fit. Plan your setup and premise, plan your confrontation of the problem, and plan the resolution of that problem.

First, define your exposition and inciting incident. Where are you starting? What is the planned incident that will set off the chain of the story? For Star Wars, when Luke purchased the droids, that started the story for him. For Lord of the Rings, when Frodo received the One Ring, the story truly began. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry began receiving letters from Hogwarts. From there, begin to lead upward, toward the climax, even when it is off in the distance.

Next, plan the end of Act 1. A semi-climactic incident, usually early in the Rising Action, in which they will usually meet the antagonist, or forces working for the antagonist, which will usually change the problem in such a way, often for the worse. In Star Wars, they killed Owen and Beru. In Lord of the Rings, the Witch King stabbed Frodo. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid revealed to Harry that he was a Wizard.

Act 2 will usually cover more of the Rising Action, leading more into the villain, and almost never involving the climax, though there are exceptions. 007 Casino Royale's Dramatic Climax was undoubtedly in Venice, but the true climax was when Le Chiffre was gunned down, an act which closed out the Second Act. You will usually close out the Second Act as part of the Rising Action, or with some kind of statement or event that immediately leads into Act 3. In Star Wars, they escaped the Death Star and traveled to Yavin IV. In Lord of the Rings, they left Mirkwood and Boromir tried to take the One Ring. In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,Act 2 ended with the end of Chapter 16.

Finally, Act 3. The resolution of the conflict. You should be on the tail end of the Rising Action, and the Climax is near. Act 3 will usually open with the antagonist beginning the endgame, making their move. The protagonists will move to stop them, inciting the Climax. The battle is fought, all is laid to rest, the events of the plot begin winding down, and we arrive at the Falling Action, where any loose threads are typically wrapped up, and any unanswered questions are either teased for a sequel or answered. Once all of that has been accomplished, the Resolution, where the main action of the story ends altogether. The Death Star entered Yavin IV's orbit in Star Wars, forcing the Rebels to attack the Death Star directly, the Death Star is destroyed, and Luke returns to the Rebel base in Star Wars for each of the events listed above. In Lord of the Rings, the Uruk-Hai attack the Fellowship at Amon Hen and Frodo runs, the Fellowship battle the Uruks, and the Fellowship breaks. In Harry Potter, Voldemort's servant goes through the trap door and the Golden Trio follow, Harry confronts and defeats Voldemort, and he and Dumbledore talk in the Hospital Wing for half a chapter after that.

The Denouement. Everything has been accomplished, the conflict is completely resolved, so why is this here? Well, typically for closure or teasing purposes. You will either give your protagonists their rest from their trouble, or lead into new trouble for the next time. Usually, an epilogue is used for this. Remember, very little if any plot-relevant information is revealed in this chapter (relevant to the current story, at least. Some things may show up in the sequels). Star Wars had the medal ceremony. Lord of the Rings had Sam and Frodo resolving to continue toward Mordor. Harry Potter had the House Cup ceremony and everything after. This is where the happy endings happen.

Let's give the Three Acts to my stories as they stand now so you see how they fit. These are spoilered, so that if you want to read my stories for yourselves, feel free, and if not, you can mouse over. Won't list the plot points, there are too many.

The Apprentice, the Student, and the Charlatan
Act 1 - Beginning until the first meeting with Envy
Act 2 - The meeting with the Princesses to the end of Hearth's Warming Day
Act 3 - Envy kidnapping all of Neighton to the end

Starbound - A hint of future plans for you guys (assuming I continue), who don't mind spoilers.
Act 1 - Beginning until the battle against Dreadwing
Act 2 - Twilight leaving Alpha Prime III-B until Jack is captured by the USCM
Act 3 - Jack's imprisonment to the end

Even In Other Worlds - Same as above.
Act 1 - Beginning until the battle against Nightmare Moon
Act 2 - Nova beginning to awaken Rainbow Dash until the discovery of who Envy is
Act 3 - Nova meeting Sombra and Luna to discuss final preparations to escape, to the end

And, for The Legacy of Twilight, unspoilered because I cancelled it.
Act 1 - Beginning until Arc and Twila escape
Act 2 - Arc and Twila's discovery of Twilight until Rinzler escapes to the MCP
Act 3 - Chasing Rinzler to the MCP until the end

Like I said, I'm no JK Rowling or anything. I'm a mediocre writer at best. But I remember those days of not knowing what or how to write well, and I'm here to pass on my experience in an Author Support group such as this in the name of helping you guys get better. Hopefully this has been informative and educational for you guys. Hope to see some more good writers out there!