Plot Lesson #1: Back to Basics (3 Act and Freytag)

Writing a novel or a story is a lot like setting out on an adventure all your own. When you first start out, you’re like the fresh-faced young hero eagerly racing out of his little village of fine comforts and throwing himself headfirst into the glory of the day! 

But, just as it does for our characters, this doesn’t last long. You soon find yourself tired and hungry, and that the trail was much further and steeper than you thought it would be, but you’re committed, and so trudge on you must.

It is only when you open your bleary sleep-deprived eyes and look around somewhere near the midpoint that you realize…

I have no idea where I’m going.

You, my friend, have encountered the Deadly Swamp of Misdirection.

This swamp, the great bane in many writer’s life, is a story killer. (Trust me, I know firsthand.) The graveyard of Unfinished Manuscripts that died here are too many too count, and just like the bog-men of yore, these poor lost souls will haunt you forever if you keep abandoning them in this mire.

So, what can you do?

Grab a Map and Get back on Track

You don’t have to be a cartographer in order to navigate your way out of this swamp. All you need is a basic guide and your own internal story compass. So whether you are currently stuck in this swamp, or have just become too familiar with its waters to dare tread there again, this multi-part series is for you. 

Here, I’ll be taking you through what I have come to view as the fundamental building blocks of (most) stories. First, we’ll be going Back to Basics with the 3-Act Structure & Freytag’s Pyramid, then we’ll be expanding that into two journeys and six stages using Hauge’s system. Next we’ll delve into the Hero’s Journey by Vogler, and finally the Emotional Roller Coaster and Story Diamond by Stan Williams. 

Each of these concepts will build on top of each other until you have a more full and complete understanding of Plot Structure, an understanding to use or turn on its head as you see fit. Because as Pablo Picasso once said, “Learn the rules like a Pro, so you can break them like an Artist.”

What is Plot?

It may seem like a silly question, but what is Plot, anyway? 

Plot can be described as the logical cause & effect relationship between linked events, whereas story is the chronological sequence of events. In E.M. Forster’s Aspects of a Novel, he explained the difference as thus: “The king died and the queen died also” is a story, but “The king died and the queen died of grief” is a plot. Story is only what happened, Plot is also why it happened. Visualize story as beads on a string, one event happening after another, and plot as a chain that connects events to why they happened.

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The One-Sentence Summary is a good place to start seeing the scope of your plot, which can be summed up as a flawed character in a particular setting, facing a problem or challenge, that forces him to take action. Note how there is a cause (the problem) and an effect (the action).

Traditional 3-Act Structure

Most of you will have undoubtedly heard of the 3-Act Structure, and for good reason. This structure has its roots in the ancient Greeks as far back as Aristotle in 350 BC. In his book Poetics he wrote that the unified plot structure required a setup (beginning), a confrontation (middle), and a resolution (end). 

In the beginning, you set up the character’s intent, which is whatever they want but can’t get. According to Aristotle, this is one of two things: happiness or misery. 

In the middle, we have the rising action, which is the result of what happened in the beginning. Remember, plot is all about cause and effect, how the characters act and react to events, and how they change as a result.

In the end, the actions of the middle inevitably lead to the climax and the resolution of the conflict.

Freytag’s Pyramid

Then along came a German writer in the Nineteenth century by the name of Gustav Freytag who mapped the structure he noticed repeated again and again in literary works and expanded on Aristotle’s Triangle, the result? The Freytag Pyramid:

*Freytag originally developed only five levels to his pyramid, but over time two more have been added. 

1.  Introduction, Setup, or “Exposition”:

 *Personally I avoid saying “exposition” so as not to confuse it with the literary technique.

Here we meet the cast and get to know the “regular” world as our protagonist knows it. The exposition/introduction stage presents all the basics of your Plot to the reader, introducing them to the Genre, Setting, Characters, and the basis for his Internal Conflict throughout your story. This is also where you will be establishing the Voice, Mood, Tone, and Atmosphere, as well as the Pacing & Flow within your chosen writing Style. This enables the reader to understand more about the circumstances and the relationships the characters have with one another.

2.  Inciting Incident: 

 Just then, an exciting event happens! We may or may not be aware of the Main Goal or Conflict yet, but some serious Conflict is made clear. Earlier conflicts were still a part of the characters normal world and will likely reflect his internal journey or have been hinting towards this greater event, but it is this incident that peaks the reader’s interest and sets off the chain of events that impels your character forward into unfamiliar territory. 

Some possibilities include:

• Action (A murder, sudden explosion, robbery), 
• Dialogue (Mysterious phone call, old flame comes back), or 
• Situation (suddenly thrust into a situation they can’t handle)

3.  Rising Action:  (Goals, Conflict, Obstacles, and Complications)

Conflict is brewing and tension rises. The Goals and Stakes have been set, the Main Conflict defined. If there is a villain, we’ve met. All of our major players have been introduced and we’re a little more familiar with our surroundings. 

Time to turn it up a notch.

Nothing’s ever easy (certainly not writing a book), and this is the point in the story where the problems intensify and complications arise. Obstacles, barriers, new conflicts and situations come up at the worst of times or right on the cusp of victory and knock them back down.

Victoria Schmidt, the author of Story Structure Architect, defines three of these terms as “Action Points” and categorizes them thusly:

• Barrier: The character attempts a certain action and fails, must change directions or try a new approach in order to overcome. Barrier STOPS the action while character considers what to do
• Complications: Doesn’t pay off right away, creates anticipation in the reader for suspense.
• Ex. Hero is trying to catch a killer when his old flame walks in. Something in the scene tells us something will happen between them, but not yet, and it may just complicate things
• Situations: Schmidt uses an expanded version of Georges Polti’s 36 Dramatic Situations, however, this can be described as any event outside the main goal/objective already stated.

4.  Climax or Finalé:

You’ve climbed the mountain, defeated the guardian at the gate, met the princess, and now, all that’s left is to slay that dragon. The Climax is where you finally have the face-to-face showdown between your hero and villain. This is the quick-paced moment of greatest tension, where the problem is at last resolved and the goal at last accomplished (or in the case of tragedy, the hero fails and leaves the readers reflecting on the character and morals)

5.  Resolution: (Falling Action & Conclusion)

Ah victory at last, but the story’s not over yet! The Resolution contains two parts, the Falling Action and the Final Conclusion, wherein all loose ends are tied up, all sub-plots complete and the Main Character reflects on how he has changed emotionally and mentally. The Theme is reiterated and reinforced and both the character and the readers have learned something in the process.

If a sequel is planned, then it is set up here, but whatever you do, do NOT end on a cliffhanger! Make sure the primary problem has been dealt with in this installment, even if the villain got away or if there’s is a larger group of villains to contend with. Any loose ends left open for the sequel need to be acknowledged so the readers know you haven’t forgotten them, and consider ending on an intriguing incident or question that will leave the readers interested in the next book. 

Tune in next time for Michael Hauge's Two Journeys and Six Stages!