Posted at May 12, 2020
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Crafting a Story: The Three Acts Part Two

Welcome back to Crafting a Story. I couldn’t wait to get this second post out to you. I’ve been biting at the bit. It may have taken longer than expected, because I had schoolwork and got hit with a stomach bug. Well now it’s finally published! I won’t talk too much more. So, let’s just jump right in, shall we?

Act One is what we’ll be talking about in part two of my mini writing series and for the three acts posts. I’m excited to talk about act one where we set up the character and their normal world. We’ll also see a new situation thrown at the main character. There will be world building and character establishment going on as well in this act. You will also need to set up an emotional connection with the MC (main character) to the reader. One thing will be made clear in this act the MC’s goal and they’ll start to purse it at the bridge between this act and act two.

This is the whole of act one in a brief nutshell. Now we’ll break them down into the first set of stages and turning point in act one as well as the turning point that bridges act one and act two.

So, stage one, set up, you’ll set up the character and their normal world. You’ll see them interacting with their surroundings. You’ll need to establish their flaws and start to work on world building.

I don’t like to say work on the setting because world building is much more than just the setting. It’s the universes’ history your creating, the side characters we won’t see until the later books (if at all), or historic moments in the history of your story. Not just the MC’s history either the country’s history or the town’s history. Family linage, like a family curse that was put on their umpteenth grandma for whatever reason.

Of course, we won’t see all of this right away or we may never see any of this but it’s good to keep a seprate document with notes, a notebook, or a book bible for your current story (for more information on creating a book bible click this link How To Create a Book Bible) this will help you get started and find out what one is if you don’t already know.

Another tip most of the character’s backstory will never get to see the pages of your manuscript. That’s perfectly okay that’s how its suppose to be. All of this it’s meant for you, the author. Why? To get to know their quirks and to get to know them as a flesh and blood person. I know that might sound weird, but we need to make them feel real or the readers won’t feel a connection to your characters. That’s something that is needed and is important in story crafting.

The next part is the first turning point, opportunity, something new will happen this will go hand in hand with stage two. Not too much else to say here so let’s continue.

Stage two, mentioned above (just briefly), where something will pop up to change the MC’s normal world. This could be a love interest, a budding war, or a new neighbor moves in and something seems off. Just something that will help add to the second turning point.

The second turning point, change of plans, is where the action will start to pick up. This is where we will see the character gain a visible external goal. The character will be pushed into a situation where everything has changed, and they have to start to make choices that they wouldn’t have before. Like taking the steps to fight in the war, take a chance on love, they decide to investigate their new neighbors to prove that they’re not who they say they are. Something along those lines.

This is the first act and the bridge to the second act. I won’t be going back over the bridge for the second act in my next post of Crafting a Story, which I’m aiming of two weeks. This is because I want to write an article about worldbuilding for Crafting a Story. I’ll see you again next week with another article, until next time.

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