The Three Act Structure

The three act structure is the structure by which most narratives are arranged. It has a definitive start and end point, an inciting incident which gets the story going, two large plot points which antagonise the main character, and a denouement (or return to normalcy) at the end.

The first act is often used as exposition, as a means to set up the rest of the story by introducing the main characters, environment and setting of the story. The first act always contains an inciting incident which begins the protagonist's journey and sets up the action for the coming acts.

The culmination of the first act is usually described as plot point one, during which, the character will go through some form of difficulty and things can seem bad and maybe even beyond repair, the character will reach a low at this juncture of the story.

Act two is often the largest act, in terms of size and scope, and most of the story will take place within it. The characters will go through most of their trials and tribulations here, the vast majority of character development happens here,  and this will often culminate in the form of plot point two, in which the character will be brought to an all new low point, seemingly making the main goal impossible.

Act three will contain any form of final battle, the character will find what they seek in the end of the story and things will be resolved in such a way that the denouement can occur.