In a post on Writers Helping Writers, Lisa Poisso says there’s a a missing link in the conversation about three-act structure in fiction. “Three-act structure produces a disproportionately large act in the middle of a novel, leaving writers with a puffy, gooey act notoriously recognized as the most difficult section to write,” she says. Because Act 2 is usually twice the length of Act 1 or 3, writers often end up with a muddy plot and poorly paced scenes.
However, Poisso says that the problem isn’t the writing, but the structure. “The loss of momentum is a symptom of a missing component that flattens plot and character development: the midpoint complication,” she explains. While some readers appreciate a slow-burn plot, many expect a big turning point in the middle of the novel.
“A turning point is a pivot point between two acts, forming a joint between one limb of the narrative and the next,” Poisso explains. “It’s not that a turning point is simply a dramatic, landmark event: It turns the story in a new direction.” Regular turning points keep the story moving and the reader engaged. This is where Poisso finds a problem with the three-act structure. “Without a fundamental opportunity for narrative and character change during the second act of a three-act story, readers and writers are likely to flounder,” she says. “But dividing the second act to create four acts instead of three creates an additional turning point—and another opportunity for the protagonist’s choices to determine the story’s direction.”
The four-act structure – with a complication occurring at the midpoint – sends the plot in a new direction or forces the protagonist to make a difficult choice. “The midpoint complication serves as a crucial pivot, channeling the story’s energy from reactive response to proactive progress, from the easy way to the hard way, from deconstruction to reconstruction,” Poisso writes. “This form helps writers avoid the common pitfall of the sagging middle act, buoying readers from the first act through the last.”
Recently, an article on Industrial Scripts tackled three-act structure from a screenwriter’s perspective, and suggested other methods for building a script.
- The Five-Act Structure. Replacing Act 1, 2, and 3, this structure features five distinct parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement. This structure allows for more detailed plotting and deeper character development, as well as complex narratives and intricate storylines. It can support subplots and multiple character arcs, and allows the writer to better manage pacing.
- Non-Linear Storytelling. This approach presents a story in non-chronological order, enhancing intrigue and mystery. It also engages the audience to piece together the story from different perspectives.
- Modular Storytelling. Of course, television programs rely on modular storytelling to create a long-form narrative. Each segment or episode explores different elements of the theme or story, and can take use various tones, moods, or perspectives to tell the story.
- Circular Narratives. In a circular narrative, the story returns to its staring point, creating a sense of inevitability and reinforcing the story’s themes.
