You probably remember Freytag’s pyramid from school. That little graph did not explain the 5-act structure to me well at all. Prologue, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement. Yes, great, but… what do those things mean in that context?
I’m going to break this down quickly and in a way that makes sense to me.
5 Acts in 5 Minutes
ACT I: EXPOSITION -> WHO ARE THESE CHARACTERS, HOW DO THEY BEHAVE, WHAT’S THE CONFLICT GOING TO BE, AND WHY DO WE CARE?
[INSERT INCITING INCIDENT HERE]
ACT II: RISING ACTION -> EVERYONE’S TRYING REALLY HARD TO GET WHAT THEY WANT AND SOLVE THE MAIN PROBLEM; FAILURES AND SETBACKS INCREASE TENSIONS UNTIL…
ACT III: CLIMAX -> BOOM! THE TENSION BREAKS AND KNOCKS EVERYONE ON THEIR ASS; SOMETHING ENTERS OR LEAVES THE NARRATIVE, MAKING IT A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL GAME; THE STAKES HAVE BEEN RAISED
ACT IV:FALLING ACTION -> NOTHING IS CERTAIN ANYMORE, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN (EVEN, AND ESPECIALLY, LOSING); THE RAISED STAKES ARE PAINFULLY FELT BUT IF THEY CAN MAKE IT TO THE FINAL ROUND, THEY STILL HAVE A CHANCE…
ACT V: DENOUEMENT -> THE CULMINATION OF EFFORTS AND ACTIONS LEADS THE CHARACTERS TO THE END; WIN OR LOSE, IT’S OVER; THE CONFLICT HAS ITS VICTORS. THE LOOSE ENDS ARE TIED UP, THE DUST SETTLES, AND IT’S TIME FOR SOME NARRATIVE CLOSURE.
a note on the names of these acts: they can be pretty misleading, at least to me. So here are names that may add some clarity…
Act I: Introduction
Act II: Initial Efforts (Round 1 of trying to reach the goal)
Act III: Midpoint
Act IV: All is Lost (Round 2 of trying to reach the goal)
Act V: Finale (Last round of trying + the final outcome)
Cool. How do I use an act structure?
Any way you want. Use it like a map, use it like a revision guide after you’ve outlined, use it as the mousepad you barely look at.
An act structure is less about strict division and more about a specific way to look at your plot. A lens that focuses on parts of a whole, each part with a purpose.
How I use the 5-act structure
My brain is story- and character-oriented. Channeling that into a cohesive plot, let alone a satisfying plot, is not intuitive to me. The 5-act structure lets me lay out what I have and get a visual for which parts of the plot need more attention.
I rely on the framework so I can take the story I already have and make it into the most effective, compelling plot possible.
You don’t need a traditional plot or anything resembling acts. But for me, for my screenwriting especially, I prefer structure. I only have 120 or so pages to say what I’m trying to say. I need to be efficient and know what to prioritize.
This doesn’t mean I view story structure as a mold to shove everything into. The 5-act structure is a beaten path I can wander on and off of, knowing itwill keep me on track when I get lost.
As always, take what’s helpful and leave the rest.
Sometimes it is your fault.. Sometimes you don’t listen well enough, you’re selfish, you’re rude and you aren’t always right. Sometimes you fucked it up and tbh that’s okay. It happens, learn from it, apologize and keep it moving. Just because you fucked up doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. Don’t dwell on it
I have not expected for the last 48 hours to be as they were.
I have over a thousand new followers. My inbox is full. I have received the information that I now have the entire local theatre company’s prop department at my disposal, apparently. Members of my film club have apparently seen my post on Reddit. This is, for lack of a better word, fucking insane.
So here’s what’s gonna happen now: I am writing the script for the scene and it’ll probably be done by next week. I’ll most likely start filming in early December, depending on other stuff because I’m involved in a minimum of three other film projects, one of which has a deadline.
I am gonna film Katya’s death scene, because tbh I don’t have anyone who looks like Bob de Niro or Al Pacino at my disposal atm, but I do have someone blonde and someone willing to do Sofia.
In the meantime, thank you for your overwhelming support and I don’t need any help in terms of script writing or anything anymore.
I’m not sure I can express this sentiment strongly enough, but I’m going to try via the medium of large bolded text.
Write what the fuck you want.
Write what makes you happy. Write what makes your soul sing. Write what fucks you up and makes you cry. Write what comforts you. Write what distracts you. Write what you want to read. Write what you want to watch.
Write what you want to dream about tonight.
Write what you can’t get enough of. Write what you’re completely obsessed with. Write what wakes you up at 4am and drags you out of bed because you can’t stop thinking about what your characters are going to do next.
Write what turns you on, if that’s your vibe. Write characters you’re in love with and characters who inspire you and characters you want to be friends with and characters you fucking hate but oh my god they’re so much fun.
Write about things you would sell your soul to do in real life and things you would never do in real life. Write about things that are happening right now and things that happened a thousand years ago and things that might happen in the future and things you wish could happen.
Write to get a publishing deal or to sell your books yourself or not to sell your books at all. Write for your friends or for strangers or for the people who reblog your posts on Tumblr and send you songs that remind them of your characters.
Write for yourself.
Fuck any system that tells you there’s only one right way to create or one valid way to share your writing. Your story, the way you tell it, has so much value. Make people smile or piss people off or do both of those things because art is divisive and fascinating and beautiful.
Start writing. Keep writing. And write what the fuck you want.
Here are a handful of quick tips to help you write believable characters!
1. A character’s arc doesn’t need to grow linearly. Your protagonist doesn’t have to go from being weak to strong, shy to confident, or novice to professional in one straight line. It’s more realistic if they mess up their progress on the way and even decline a bit before reaching their goal.
2. Their past affects their present. Make their backstory matter by having their past events shape them into who they are. Growing up with strict parents might lead to a sneaky character, and a bad car accident might leave them fearful of driving.
3. Give reoccurring side characters something that makes them easily recognizable. This could be a scar, a unique hairstyle, an accent, or a location they’re always found at, etc.
4. Make sure their dialogue matches their personality. To make your characters more believable in conversation, give them speech patterns. Does the shy character mumble too low for anyone to ever hear, does the nervous one pace around and make everyone else on edge?
5. Make your characters unpredictable. Real people do unexpected things all the time, and this can make life more exciting. The strict, straight-A student who decides to drink at a party. The pristine princess who likes to visit the muddy farm animals. When character’s decide to do things spontaneously or in the heat of the moment, it can create amazing twists and turns.
6. Give even your minor character’s a motive. This isn’t to say that all your characters need deep, intricate motives. However, every character should need or want something, and their actions should reflect that. What’s the motive behind a side character who follows your protagonist on their adventure? Perhaps they’ve always had dreams of leaving their small village or they want to protect your protagonist because of secret feelings.
DO NOT TRY TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE AT THE POLLS.
DO NOT ENGAGE IN ANY KIND OF POLITICAL DISCOURSE AT THE POLLS.
NO ELECTION IS EVER A SURE THING, EVEN IF YOU’RE IN THE BLUEST OR REDDEST OF STATES. IF SOMEONE TRIES TO TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN SIT THIS ONE OUT, THEY ARE EITHER IGNORANT OR MALICIOUS.
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