How to Plot a Novel for Beginners in Writing

A Guide to the Three Act Structure of Storytelling Made Simple

Apr 14, 2009

Structuring a novel is something all aspiring novelists need to know about when planning their story.

For those new to novel writing, the idea of plot structure, or the three-act structure, sounds like the perfect antidote to creativeness or the unleashing of the imagination. But without it, a story becomes nothing more than a meandering narrative of random scenes. The principle is quite simple, and serves to give the novel coherence.

What is the Three Act Structure?

Audiences of films, readers of books and listeners to stories are bombarded with the three-act structure all the time without realising it. It is the underlying backbone that keeps the story moving forward, keep people turning the pages and bums on seats in cinemas. A well-structured story is more likely to tease, entice and thrill the reader to turn the pages right towards the culmination.

Most novels, when stripped down, can be thought of as consisting of three parts. These are:

Act One: The Set Up

Act one consists of the opening of the story, which sets the scene, introduces the characters and gives some form of reference from which the story develops. In this case, we are introduced to the three little pigs, who are presented with the problem of building some sort of shelter. The story is given added dimension when the three pigs take a different approach to the same problem by building different houses: One of straw, one of wood and one of bricks.

Setting the Story in Motion

Within act one there will often be a point where something happens that creates some sort of tension and sets the story in motion. This is often known as the “inciting incident.” It is good practice to introduce the inciting incident as soon as possible. In the case of the three pigs, the big bad wolf comes along. He is hungry and wants to eat the pigs. This marks the beginning of Act Two, which is the main conflict of the story.

Act Two: The Conflict

This consists of the main body of the novel. Several peaks and troughs mark ever increasing tension with little respites in between, where the stakes become ever higher. Think of the occasions when the wolf blows down the pigs’ houses. The story wouldn’t work as well if the wolf had blown down the house of bricks first, for there would have been no sense of culmination. Each house had to require more “puff”, and increasing stakes as each pig ran for shelter.

Plot Twists

On the verge of act 3, or the climax, there will often be a rug-pulling moment, a twist or a development unseen. In this case, the big bad wolf makes an unexpected move on the three little pigs by climbing down the chimney. The unsuspecting reader cannot see a way out for the poor little pigs.

Act Three: The Climax

This forms the apex of the novel, where the pigs finally face-off the wolf. The third little pig lights a fire at the bottom of the chimney and sends the hapless bad wolf off into the distance with a fire in his tail.

The Three Part Structuring of the Novel

The three-part structure, the inciting moment and plot twists of the novel forms the basis of storytelling. Each author may experiment with this formula, but sound knowledge of the three-act structure will serve the writer with problems over plot structure within their novel.

The copyright of the article How to Plot a Novel for Beginners in Writing in Fiction Plots & Pacing is owned by Rachel Wills. Permission to republish How to Plot a Novel for Beginners in Writing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.