A Novel: In Three Acts

Every author hears of the three-act novel at some point. One thinks of Shakespeare, vast libraries, and high literature when discussing the points of writing a novel with three parts. However, rather than complicating storytelling, its origins in Ancient Greece were designed to make the process easy and clear. Let’s take a look.

The acts are split this way:

Act 1: Set up the main characters by tossing them into the worst conditions you can concoct.

Act 2: Torture characters until they are ultimately confronted with their mortality.

Act 3: After facing their worst fears, the characters are ready to turn chaos into resolution.

Or, to simplify:

Act 1: I’ve a problem.

Act 2: I think I can fix it. Whoops. I can’t.

Act 3: I know better now how to face the badness. Let’s see what happens.

The three-part novel allows the reader to ease into the story with anticipation and knowledge.

Let’s look at a few guidelines that may help you write with this pattern.

• The first act should be about 25% of the novel, the second about 50%, and the third around 25%. Readers might get bogged down if this pattern is broken and lose interest. Never bore your reader.
• Consider shorter segments, from 1500 to 2000 words per chapter. Brevity allows for the section percentage of the novel to hit a sweet spot and is effective for ADHD readers.
• Show the reader what’s happening through scenes. The reader enjoys the character’s development. If you simply say how the character is changing, the reader will put the book down and possibly give a disparaging review. Or worse, ask for their money back.
• Throughout each act, heighten the stakes. Johnny needs love and is on a dating app. He messages Susan. Susan accepts a date. She really likes this guy. But then, Susan discovers that Johnny’s last girlfriend met a tragic end…and he may have been responsible. Do you see how the stakes become much higher at this point?
• Break your character. I mean, really take them low by the end of act two. Then show them rise to the challenge with their new determination. All of us desperately want to become the best version of ourselves. Do the same for your characters, and the reader can learn by watching someone else’s misery without having to live it themselves.

These are only a few tips that make the three-act novel successful. What suggestions do you have that work for you?