(Yay! This is my 60th post. We’re also on the threshold of 5,000 hits. What a milestone on both counts. Thanks, all! ^_^)

Before I get too much further with writing scenes, I’d like to talk a little bit more about plot structure.

The plot is an unruly beast. There are many theories as to why a story works, or how to combine various elements to make the “ultimate plot combination”. The number of possible plot types is hotly debated, but it’s a growing list. We’re not talking about some sacred list that only adds a new plot once every 1000 years; Something like sixteen more have been added just within the last 100 years. So don’t listen to those old codgers that claim ‘everything under the sun has been done’, just like how inventors in the past always managed to invent new things, despite their stuffy compatriots claiming everything under the sun had already been invented. You CAN write something new.

Anyway, I feel lucky to have stumbled upon what I feel is a cool trick to writing good plots. (If it’s widely known info, forgive me. It’s definitely not widely known at my on-line stomping grounds, nor is it mentioned in any of my ‘how-to’ reading materials.)

But before I talk about that, I want to reiterate something->
I’m sure you’ve all seen Syd Field’s three-act plot structure. But just in case you haven’t, here they are (in my own words):

ACT I: Consists of the first 25% of the story.
The setup. Introduces the main characters, the world, the ‘inciting incident’ (the event triggers the plot and sets it in motion), and plot point #1.

ACT II: Consists of the second 50% of the story.
As the characters try to deal with plot point #1, they almost succeed (first culmination). Then, things go horribly awry (midpoint). Finally, it exacerbates into plot point #2, which is a ‘reversal’, creating a new, better goal (sorta ‘peripetia’, shows that the main character has changed and learned something).

ACT III: Consists of the last 25% of the story.
The climax (the second culmination, where the MCs and opposition clash) and resolution (The denouement; the ending; the payoff where the tension finally lets off).

The three-act plot structure tells a complete story. But … if you think about it, merely getting the job done with a strict three-act structure isn’t good enough anymore. Look at successful movies versus unsuccessful ones.

Ever feel disappointed by a movie, but not sure why? Take a look at their plots. Did it feel horribly derivative? A lot of the time, I find it’s because they perfectly followed the three-act plot structure, making the stories feel overly predictable and old hat. (A merely serviceable plot’s fine when the main draw for a story is great comedic talent, amazing animation, etc. But if you try it with high fantasy, a lot of the time—unless you’ve got an especially stylish world/characters/narration—you end up with tripe like Uwe Boll’s In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale.)

Another screenwriter by the name of David Siegal created something called the nine-act plot structure. It goes beyond stories just having a beginning, middle, and ending.

First of all, you have to make sure your characters, plot(s), and unique concept(s) are all closely related. This makes editing much harder, but at the same time it makes the story feel more robust and alive. This is called ‘verisimilitude’.

Second of all, there needs to be more than one goal. Two or more goals intertwining with each other makes the world feel more diverse and the story seem far more interesting. I call this ‘layering’. For instance, a typical episode of Seinfeld (like it or hate it) takes two goals and intertwines them, then relates them during the denouement.

With those things in mind, let’s take a look at the nine acts. They go from 0-8 (also in my own words):

ACT ZERO: The backstory.
It can be ten weeks, ten years, or ten centuries worth. Here, you want to give your antagonists just as much backstory as your protagonists. You want events to have already been set in motion and be operating in the background. You want emotion-fueled character-building stories to flashback to. You want disaster(s) that set up the current plot.

ACT ONE: Establishing the location.
The beginning should be potent and submerge readers in the world. They need to feel the time period and physical location.

ACT TWO: The hook.
Something bad has to happen, fast. The story doesn’t truly begin until the plot is set into motion.

ACT THREE: Introduce some or all of the characters.
We may have already met them. But the reader needs to get to know the characters to connect to them or disconnect from them—whatever your aim. The events that let the reader identify with the characters should deliberately, but not too obviously, lead toward the next act.

ACT FOUR: A protagonist, antagonist, or group commits to a goal.
The character’s motives MUST BE REALISTIC if you don’t want to alienate your readership. If getting your characters to chase their goals feels forced, you have to stop writing NOW and seriously re-evaluate what has happened beforehand. Figure out what the character’s true motivations are. The character in question can be pushed into the situation or choose to pursue it, but it MUST be believable.

ACT FIVE: In pursuit of the goal the wrong way, or in pursuit of the wrong goal.
The characters need to feel the consequences of chasing their goal. Complications must arise. If there are no real complications, it can create the illusion of deus ex machina. So the characters must bleed and suffer for their goals, so to speak. While the protagonists muddle around in their complications and chase the wrong goal, the antagonists should rise to a level of power that appears unbeatable.

ACT SIX: In pursuit of the correct goal.
At some point, the characters should realize the err of their ways and chase the correct goal, despite the impossible odds. This moment should feel pivotal. Some vital information should reveal itself; information the characters didn’t have before for some reason.

ACT SEVEN: More complications.
Even though the aim has become true, things are still going to be tough for the characters. Tougher than ever before. Overcoming the villains comes at a price—IF they even succeed….

ACT EIGHT: Denouement.
This is where you wrap up loose ends, and is your chance to leave the readers with the emotions you want to leave them with.

Something to keep in mind is these acts are very flexible. Not only can you layer these goals thick (you can even inter-weave three act and nine act plots), but there are plenty of moments where you can adjust pacing and order, or create more correct/incorrect goals.

Despite all this, there should be one main story arc focusing on one main theme. The theme should be something strong—preferably something critical to the human condition such as ‘death’ or ‘love’. You can identify the arc by looking for the moment the story stops being introduction and the main character truly enters the world, called the ‘beginning of the middle’.
The second part of the main story arc is called ‘the climax’.
And the third part is ‘the denouement’.

I hope that information helps you as much as it did me. If anybody has anything to add to this, please do. I love chatting about this stuff :D

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