Have you heard about the Three-Act Story Structure? You want to use it, but don’t know where to start? Do you need more detailed information about each one on the Acts? Well, we got you covered. Today we’ll start a series where we’ll spell out how this structure works… And we are starting, of course, with the First Act.
If you are new to our page, then some introductions are in order: We are Blue Raven Club, we offer useful tips for new writers to help them write the novel they have inside. So, stick around, and we’ll make sure you don’t regret it.
Writing a novel can be difficult… well, it is difficult. But… if we do it strategically, we have good chances of not ending up wanting to cut our heads off.
What do you think all those Hollywood movies have in common? Or all the successful stories out there? Yes, of course, they have creative and talented authors, compelling characters… but there is something that makes them stronger: structure. Structure allows these stories to stand tall. Of course, structure is not the only element we have to take care of when writing a novel, but it is a very important one.
In one of our previous articles, we explained the basics of the Three-Act Structure, which is probably, the most common structure for stories out there. If you haven’t read that article, please go and do it, (it’s linked right here) because you’ll need that information to have a better idea of what we’ll be discussing here.
The Three-Act Structure divides the novel in precisely that: Three Acts (duh):
– First Act: Set up
– Second Act: Confrontation
– Third Act: Resolution
Each one of these acts has a specific objective in molding the story. Today, we are going to get into the specifics of the First Act of your novel. There are some points in here that we have discussed before, so I’ll be linking all related articles, so you can have a complete idea of what this is all about.
For starters, the First Act of a novel should comprise the first 25% of the story. It’s the Act that gets things moving, where we know our hero, their current situation, and we get information on what adventure they will be facing in the rest of the book.
This First Act is composed of the following elements:
- Opening Image
- Inciting Incident
- Second Thoughts
- Theme Stated
- First Plot Point
Now, let’s take a deeper look at them.
Opening Image
The “Opening Image” or “Hero in the Ordinary World” is the first point in our story. Think of every story you have ever read. The first thing we encounter is a general idea of who our hero is and what their “ordinary world” is like. This point in the story is very important because it’s what our readers will use to decide whether they’ll be reading the book or not. Some questions you need to answer for your opening image are:
–Who is the hero/protagonist of the story? Our readers will have to follow the protagonist for about 300, 400, or more pages, so the sooner you introduce the protagonist, the better, so the readers can know who they will be rooting for. Make sure to make your hero likable, not perfect, but likable. There’s a difference.
-What is our hero’s flaw/misbelief? This is something that will give our protagonist more depth. It’s an inner belief our protagonist will have to overcome throughout the story. Do they believe they don’t belong anywhere and that are better off alone? Are they resentful and always seeking vengeance?
Do you need help crafting a compelling main character? If so, make sure you read this article right here. We have tons of tips!
– What is the “world” like? (Is it a fantasy world? London in 1600? An isolated island in the Pacific? A cold town in modern-day Russia? Germany before the fall of the wall?
Whatever the place is, make sure the “where” and “when” are clear for your readers. In here, you have to be careful not to provide too much information, aka, info-dumping.
Info-dumping is a common mistake in new writers, and it’s when we write pages and pages of world description. Too much description and no action can bore the reader. So, make sure you show the world through the actions of your characters. Show your main character (MC) dealing with a daily conflict. Maybe they have to go get some supplies from deserted stores while being careful not to get caught by the zombies, or the aliens, or the animals that now rule the cities. Maybe our protagonist is fighting in a war and we see him getting ready for his daily duties.
This way we can have an idea of the world and we can see how the MC reacts and show their personality.
As the opening image is a First Chapters’ job, make sure you read this article right here to get more tips on how to write it.
All in all, the opening image is our ticket to the story and it’s what determines if we’ll stay for the rest of the show or not. It establishes the status quo of our protagonist in their world.
For example, at the beginning of “The Hunger Games”, we get to know Katniss, her daily routine, and the Games, so we get a good idea of how the world works. At the beginning of “Mulan”, we get the image of a young girl living in a very traditional China which is about to get into a war. In “A Quiet Place”, we get to know this family that has to live in a silent world…
Think of your favorite stories and analyze their “Opening Image”.
Inciting Incident
The next point in our story is the Inciting Incident, also known as the Call for Adventure. From the Opening Image, we got an idea of the world and our protagonist, and the general status quo of the story. Well, the Inciting Incident will shatter that status quo to pieces. It’s an external event that comes to disrupt the life of our MC, turning their world upside down.
It’s a call to go on an adventure: Katniss’s sister getting picked as tribute; Mulan’s father getting his call to war, Harry getting his letter to go to Hogwarts, Alina realizing that she is in fact Grisha, and so on…
But… I won’t get any deeper into this topic because we have a full article explaining all the tiny details an Inciting Incident includes. You can check that right here.
Second Thoughts
“Second Thoughts” will be the third point of our story. But… what is it about? Well, up to here, we have information on our MC and the world they inhabit, and some external event has come to disrupt the existing balance. Now, our hero is presented with an opportunity to go on an adventure. But will they take it?
Well, if you want to write a book, then, of course, they’ll accept it… But they just need some (little) time to think about it.
Let’s take into account that our MC’s whole life has been turned upside down. They’ll need to react somehow. Their brain needs some space to assimilate the news and fully comprehend what it means for them. Our MC will also have to evaluate the consequences of the alternatives he has now: Going on the adventure or not. What will happen if they accept? What will happen if they refuse?
This is an excellent moment to raise the stakes of the story. If Katniss refuses, it means her unprepared sister will have to survive a life-or-death game. If Mulan doesn’t take action, it means her old father will have to go to war and will probably die… This will show the reader that the decision matters and will have consequences on people’s lives. Remember that at this point, we already empathize with our likable protagonist, and we don’t want them to suffer.
Basically, the Second Thoughts story point will analyze the possible consequences of our MC’s next step. Remember to raise your stakes and add some urgency, and there! Your Second Thoughts story point will be ready!
Theme Stated
We can consider this, as a kind of sub-section of the previous point.
The theme is the general concept or idea our story is really about: family, friendship, love, honor…
Have someone other than your MC remind them why they should take or not this decision, and ta dum! Include the theme.
Right before Mulan takes her decision of taking her father’s place in the war, she’s reminded that in her society, people live by the rules of honor. But here we know that for her, protecting her family is even more important than any rule of society.
First Plot Point
Let’s make a little review of what we’ve learned so far. First, we have the opening image where we get to know our hero and their world. Second, there’s the inciting incident where our hero’s world is turned upside down. Third, we have the reaction of our hero to the inciting incident where he has to think about the consequences, the pros, and cons of the decision he’s going to take. Finally, in the Theme Statement, we establish what the story is really about. Now, we have the last point of the First Act which is the First Plot Point. The first plot point is going to determine the end of the First Act and will send our MC right into the Second Act.
Our MC has a decision to take and he has already thought about it. The only thing that’s left for him to do is to make up his mind; to say: YES! I’m going on adventure. Of course, for our story to happen, our MC needs to say yes to the adventure. If he says no, then we don’t have a story to tell.
Now, this adventure may have many different forms: It can be a quest to rescue a loved one, or maybe to recover a gem that was stolen centuries ago by a dark magician. Or… the adventure may be accepting a new job opportunity in an exciting foreign country; or perhaps, our hero needs to rescue the world from a zombie apocalypse or from an alien apocalypse. Yes, I know you noticed. I like apocalypse stories.
So, the first plot point is just that simple. It’s our hero saying “yes” to the upcoming adventure. Now, what can we do to add some salt and pepper to this first plot point? Maybe the decision is made under the pressure of a time limit or escaping from a difficult situation. For example, Mulan taking his father’s armor to go to the military camp. In this case, she had to escape from her house in the middle of the night; she had to steal the armor and take the horse and she was going to hide her identity for which she could get killed. Besides, of course, of all the danger that war implies for a teenage girl that doesn’t know the first thing about fighting.
Something very important about the first plot point is that it has to come from the protagonist. It needs to be a decision that our protagonist takes. This gives the protagonists some agency: It’s them taking action and not them being pushed by the circumstances of this story.
Summing Up…
The First Act of any novel is of paramount importance. In here, we get to know what this story is about. Its objective is to prepare the scenario for the adventure. That’s why we call it the Set Up.
What are its main points?
- Opening image: Introduction of the hero in their ordinary world.
- Inciting Incident: an external event that disrupts the reality of the hero.
- Second Thoughts: reaction to the Inciting Incident. Evaluation of the consequences.
- Theme Statement: what the story is really about.
- First Plot Point: Our hero finally says “Yes” to the adventure.
And there you have it. Your first act is complete. Not too difficult, right?
Make sure you keep checking our website because we will soon be posting articles about the second and third acts and, also analysis of examples of each one of the beats of a story.
See you soon!
