Write Great Fiction--Plot & Structure Read Online Free PDF

react. That’s Act I.We spend the greater part of our time figuring out how to solve the problem: Act II. After all of that wrestling, hopefully, we get the insight and answer — the resolution of Act III.
    There is something fundamentally sound about the
three
structure. As Buckminster Fuller taught, the triangle is the strongest shape in nature (thus it is the foundation of the geodesic dome he invented).
    Similarly, almost all great jokes are built on a structure of three — the setup, the body, and the payoff. It is never just an Irishman and a Frenchman entering a bar; you have to add an Englishman to make the joke work.
    In a novel, we must get to know some things in Act I before we can move on in the story. Then the problem is presented, and the Lead spends the greater part of the book wrestling with the problem (Act II). But the book has to end sometime, with the problem solved (Act III).
    It has been said in writing classes and books that the three-act structure is dead (or silly or worthless). Don’t believe it.
    The three-act structure has endured because it works.
    If you choose to ignore this structure, you increase the chance of reader frustration. If that’s your goal for some artistic reason or other, fine.
    But at least understand why structure works — it helps readers get into the story.
    Can You
Play
With Structure?
    Of course. Once you understand why it works, you are free to use that understanding to fit your artistic purposes. But you will soon come to realize that the further you move from sound structure, the harder it will be to bring your readers along with you. That’s okay, too. A little hard work never hurts a novelist, and readers sometimes need to be challenged. So grasp the worth of structure, then write what you will. See chapter eight for more on playing with structure.
    Another way to talk about the three acts is simply as the beginning, middle, and end. I like the way one wag put it: beginning,
muddle
, and end.
    Here, then, are the things that must happen in the three acts. We will be going into more detail on each act in the next few chapters.
Beginnings
    Beginnings are always about the
who
of the story ( chapter four goes into greater detail about beginnings ). The entry point is a Lead character, and the writer should begin by connecting the reader to the Lead as quickly as possible —
Robin Hood went riding
.
    Imagine the courtroom scenes in
To Kill a Mockingbird
coming at the beginning of the book. What connection would there be with Atticus Finch? He’d certainly seem like a competent, caring lawyer, but our caring would not be as deep as it is later on. That’s because the beginning gives us glimpses of Atticus as a father, citizen, neighbor, and lawyer. We get to know him better through the eyes of his daughter, before we track him to court.
    Beginnings have other tasks to perform. The four most important are:
Present the story world — tell us something about the setting, the time, and the immediate context.
Establish the tone the reader will rely upon. Is this to be a sweeping epic or a zany farce? Action packed or dwelling more on character change? Fast moving or leisurely?
Compel the reader to move on to the middle. Just why should the reader care to continue?
Introduce the opposition. Who or what wants to stop the Lead?
Middles
    The major part of the novel is the confrontation, a series of battles between the Lead and the opposition.
They fought.
    This is also where subplots blossom, adding complexity to the novel and usually reflecting the deeper meaning of the book.
    The various plot strands weave in and out of one another, creating a feeling of inevitability while at the same time surprising the reader in various ways. In addition, the middle, which is discussed more in chapter five , should:
Deepen character relationships.
Keep us caring about what happens.
Set up the final battle that will wrap things up at the end.
Ends
    The