3-Act Structure

The three act structures consist of a setup, a confrontation, and a resolution. The setup introduces the main characters, the world that they live in, and a conflict that will drive the story forward. It needs some sort of hook or exciting scene that grabs the audience's attention, and should end with a major plot point that completely changes the course of the story. For Act II or the confrontation, the writer has to figure out what elements to include to keep the story moving and audience entertained, before the resolution. Often times a subplot is introduced to give a different perspective on the characters that's still relevant to the overall narrative. Similar to the setup, Act II should end with another plot point, only the stakes must be higher, and it should appear that all hope is lost. The resolution includes the final confrontation of the story, whether that be in a battle scene or a clash between good and evil. It includes a denouement, so that loose ends in the overall plot are summed up, and a resolution is offered for all of the subplots.