The 3 Act Structure: Writing a Strong First Act

[@PhoenixCrown]

I like the "dominoes" analogy for the inciting incident. Instead of thinking of the BOOK beginning with the first domino, it's actually the STORY. And the book begins with a look at the world/dominoes before the first one falls. Some feedback I received on my novel was that it spent too much time following the MC in his normal life at the beginning. It was good feedback, and I cut a lot since then, but I still refuse to just jump into action without context. An epic requires some setup =) Thanks Shaelin!

[@ajrtraill8085]

I'm terrific with endings but lousy with beginnings. My current tactic is to get momentum, cut as much fat from the beginning as possible and fill in the pieces as the story progresses. Thanks again, Shaelin!

[@rachelthompson9324]

the first plot point is the character taking the step she can't go back on, she must go forward. The inciting incident forces and motivates the decision to take the irreversible step. The first plot point is character decision. The best setups happen inside everyday troubles that show characters' flaws. Better if one foreshadows how such flaws negatively impact the MC's plot and developmental progression.

[@Carolina-wz2qo]

this came in at exactly the right time for me, a great reminder of things to keep in mind at the start of a new project

[@DC-sk8jr]

A beginner's dream come true! Thank you. There are so many layers in writing a story, which is why, i guess, it takes so long to get to some state of mastery. Also, I figuring out that everyone's brain works differently, so even if a video has excellent content, it might not jibe with how you think or work (panster vs. plotter vs. plotster).

[@LEA67767]

Brilliant! Thank you very much for this and the series planned Shaelin and Reedsy!

[@leifashley]

Sounds like your voice is going out, but thank you so much for these awesome videos.

[@lifeofbrilliance4494]

Loving your video quality ☺️ ❤️

[@teamscottypinoylifeincanad3705]

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

[@carlosssandovallucas9326]

i love how to you esplaind tanks

[@abhayanand9585]

I love English whether it's reading novels and etc.

[@lakeshagadson357]

how I would do it if I was writing a story I would start with a draft and then follow the pages with a list of details as well as well as personality style act as well

[@asherbrunnert3121]

How would I go about introducing characters later on in a book or series?

[@PhoenixCrown]

Broad question and I'm an amateur, but a fun prompt =) The character should help drive the narrative, so you probably want to bring them in when they become relevant if they're not a major character. If they play a larger role, you could introduce ahead of time and show how their goals/ideals etc will conflict with the MC's. Also, if you introduce them pretty late in the book, give us some familiarities. Like, we should know something about this character's culture, vocation, style etc. from other of the MC's interactions in the book. Just some thoughts, hope it's any help!

[@johnhaggerty4396]

Soap scriptwriters consult the biography files of each character: I suggest you compile similar biographies. Characters interact with other characters in Proust's *A La recherche du temps perdu*: you could read sections of it here and there. Anthony Powell (*A Dance to the Music of Time*) and C.P. Snow (*Strangers and Brothers*) did the same, but not in Proust's league. Maurice Gee wrote a family trilogy *Plumb* *Meg* and *Sole Survivor* which give a vivid history of New Zealand life over 80 years or so. *The Stone Diaries* by Canadian novelist Carol Shields covered a long period of time in a fairly compact novel.

[@johnhaggerty4396]

Two Canadian novels introduce characters against a complex time-frame and do so with great aplomb. *Random Descent* by Katherine Govier & *The Wars* by Timothy Findley: I have read them several times, will do so again. American critic Alfred Kazin introduces many real people in his memoirs *New York Jew* : A wonderful portrait of a vanished time. Kazin's Journals *A Lifetime Burning in Every Moment* are good and his study of the novel, *The Bright Book of Life*.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

Let’s keep going for another week and not meet until we deeply hate each other.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

Brintha I’m perfectly sane and sober. Know your size.

[@u_t_d_s_h-1_a]

Plays have become very discouraging in recent times for lots of literature enthusiasts.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

You think you’ve a choice. You should really look into how I would be affected. Check. Access granted.

[@jayashreechakravarthy4949]

Punish both Abbie and tsugumi. Very important thing to them, separately.

[@johnhaggerty4396]

The storyteller like her characters is at once ingenuous and disingenuous. The characters do not know they are in a 3 Act Structure. If the writer can surprise herself then the reader will be surprised too. Colin Thubron's *Night of the Fire* surprised me with the believable. *Dark Places* (Kate Grenville) *Bellevue Square* (Michael Redhill) *Lamb* (Bonnie Nadzam) are deep, dark and strongly structured.

[@johnathannicholson9183]

𝐩яⓞ𝓂𝓞Ş𝐦 💖