If you’re not a trained writer, then it can be hard to know where to start with writing your book. It can be tempting just to start writing. Why not let your characters guide you through the story?
However, there’s danger in that. It could lead to 80,000 words of wandering with no real momentum.
This is why story structure matters.
I’ve heard some people say that they worry a structure could make their work formulaic; that it will hamper their creativity. But a solid structure doesn’t stifle your story. It supports it. And, more importantly than anything, it gives your readers a sense of direction. Even if they’re not consciously aware of it.
One of the most tried and tested frameworks for this is the three act structure. It’s not new. In fact, it has roots going all the way back to Ancient Greece. But despite its age, it’s stood the test of time for a reason. This is because it speaks to the way humans naturally process stories: beginning, middle and end.
I’m going to share with you how the three act structure works, and why it matters. To do this, I’m going to use my favourite film of all time as an example, as most people have seen it: Back to the Future.
Act One: The Setup
(Where we meet Marty and everything’s just ticking along)
Every story needs a solid beginning. This isn’t just where things start, but where we meet the protagonist and understand what’s “normal” for them.
In Back to the Future, we meet Marty McFly in 1985. He’s your average teenager with a love for music, a girlfriend he’s crazy about, a slightly chaotic family, and a best friend who happens to be an eccentric scientist. We learn it all in action based scenes that don’t feel like exposition.
But Act One isn’t just for introductions. It’s also where you plant the seeds of conflict. It’s where we see the little cracks that are about to split wide open.
For Marty, this comes when Doc Brown unveils a DeLorean that can travel through time. Moments later, something goes terribly wrong, and Marty is accidentally flung back to 1955.
The first act ends with a major turn. We call it a catalyst into the next lot of action, and everything gets ramped up.
Act Two: The Confrontation
(Everything that can go wrong… does)
Act Two is the longest and most complex part of your story. It’s where your characters face problems, make mistakes and are forced to grow. Think of it as the middle of a maze. No matter what the genre, there are twists, dead ends, and the stakes keep rising.
For Marty, this act is all about navigating 1955: trying to track down Doc, blend in, and somehow get back to the future. But things spiral when he accidentally interferes with the moment his parents were meant to meet, ultimately threatening his own existence.
The tension needs to build. This could be extremely dramatic if it’s a horror, or wildly hilarious if you’re writing a comedy. It needs to feel right with your genre, and it needs to grab your readers.
On top of all this, halfway through, something needs to change that shifts the story’s energy. This is called the “midpoint”. For Marty, that’s realising how high the cost of failure could be. For your novel, it could be your character realising what they must do, even if they’re not ready.
Act Two has to end with a twist or a stark realisation, or something that ramps things up all over again. Something needs to boost the action, to take us into the final, and most dramatic element of your story.
Act Three: The Resolution
(Clock tower, cables and consequences)
By now, your story is a coiled spring. Everything that’s been set in motion needs to pay off: emotionally, logically and dramatically.
Act Three is where the character applies what they’ve learned, makes bold decisions and confronts whatever truth they’ve been avoiding. For Marty, it’s a literal race against time. For your protagonist, it might be a final confrontation, a confession or perhaps a sacrifice.
This is not just about wrapping up plot threads. It’s about transformation. Who your character is at the end should be fundamentally different from who they were at the start. That’s what makes an ending feel earned.
Structure = Freedom
Once you understand structure, you don’t have to follow it rigidly. But knowing where the key elements should go can give your writing a sense of rhythm. It will keep your readers turning the pages.
Structure doesn’t mean your story will be predictable. It’s just helping to give it energy. Structure is there to make your story feel coherent, full of life and satisfying.
Start with a solid framework, fill it with heart, and let the sparks fly.
Because when your story hits 88 miles per hour… magic happens.
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