Basic Outline – Three Act Structure – Kansas Writers Association

Overall Ordinary World

Main Setting

Act One (story set up)

Part One (Characters move from their ordinary world to the inciting incident)

Chapter 1 – Introduction (set-up)
- Introduce main characters
- Establish at least one goal
- Establish the setting
- Mystery: Disclose the crime to be solved
Chapter 2 – Inciting incident (conflict)
- Introduce at least one external conflict
- Introduce at least one internal conflict
- Romance: Hint at attraction and resistance
- Mystery: Reveal early clues to initial crime, pointing to suspects and motive
Chapter 3 – Immediate reaction (resolution)
- Establish a ticking clock
- Introduce a key secondary character
- More on goals
- Add a complication
- Romance: More attraction/resistance
- Mystery: Sleuth sets on the path to resolve the crime
- Subplot: If there will be one, introduce it now

Part Two (Problems disrupt lives)

Chapter 4 – Reaction (set-up)
- Characters react to long-term impacts of inciting incident
- More external conflicts
- Complication
- Romance: More hints of attraction/resistance
- Mystery: Reveal facts about suspects through interrogation and discovery of clues
- Subplot: Add more details about
Chapter 5 – Action (conflict)
- Characters decide to take action to change the situation
- More internal conflicts
- Ticking clock is louder
- More external conflict
- Romance: Issues frustrate possible romance
- Mystery: One suspect flees or disappears
- Subplot: Conflicts revealed
Chapter 6 – Consequence (resolution)
- More complications in reaction to characters’ actions
- External conflicts grow
- Internal conflicts intensify
- Introduce short range goal
- Romance: Attraction is harder to resist
- Mystery: Investigation broadens to put suspicion on other characters
- Subplot: Begins to get complicated

Part Three (Characters live change directions)

Chapter 7 – Pressure (set-up)
- Stronger external issues lead to growing tension and pressure from action taken
- Frustration mounting
- Romance: Relationship cautiously accepted
- Mystery: Frustration with investigation
- Subplot: Issues becoming stronger
Chapter 8 – Pinch (conflict) – FIRST TURNING POINT
- Even bigger complication develops
- Upheaval all around
- Ticking clock really loud
- Opposing goals resurface
- Romance: Relationship at serious odds
- Mystery: Something occurs that makes it clear the crime is more complicated
Chapter 9 – Push (resolution)
- External and internal pressures push characters into big changes
- Possible secret is revealed
- Goals are very complicated
- Romance: Relationship is heating again despite conflicts
- Mystery: Information gathered points toward a possible solution
- Subplot: Something new develops

Act Two (Conflict intensifies)

Part Four (Characters explore the changes)

Chapter 10 – New world (set-up)
- Characters show feelings about the big change
- Ticking clock is louder
- Doubts about resolving differences
- External conflict more complicated
- Romance: Strained
- Mystery: More of sleuth’s background is revealed
- Subplot: More is revealed
Chapter 11 – Fun and games (event/conflict)
- Action slows down while the characters adjust
- A conflict is compromised
- Characters get along better
- Romance: Attraction growing again
- Mystery: Reveal that the sleuth has personal stakes
- Subplot: Calmer for a moment
Chapter 12 – Old world contrast (resolution)
- Characters reflect on new situation in comparison to the beginning
- Complication develops into a problem
- Romance: Doubts forming
- Mystery: Contemplation is worrying

Part Five (Crisis in new world)

Chapter 13 – Build up (set-up)
- Goals more complicated
- External and internal pressures intensify
- Romance: Serious doubts
- Mystery: Reveal hidden motives, former secret relationships
Chapter 14 – Midpoint (conflict)
- Major complication develops
- Setbacks to reaching goal
- Possible danger
- Romance: Frustrations mounting
- Mystery: Develop the meaning of earlier clues
- Subplot: Strained
Chapter 15 – Reversal (resolution)
- Characters have immediate reactions to new complications
- More of a secret is revealed
- Determination to overcome obstacles
- Romance: Sizzling
- Mystery: More determined to solve crime

Part Six (Finding a solution)

Chapter 16 – Reaction (set-up)
- Characters reflect on long-term impacts of reversal
- Re-evaluate what has happened
- Re-evaluate motives and goals
- Consider goal changes
- Romance: Re-evaluate relationship
- Mystery: Sleuth reveals results of the investigation
- Subplot: Continues
Chapter 17 – Action (conflict)
- Characters take action to resolve problems created by reversal
- External and internal pressures intensify
- Ticking clock even louder
- Romance: Serious problems being developing again
- Mystery: Review what is known and assess the possibilities
Chapter 18 – Dedication (resolution)
- Characters are determined to succeed
- Characters reconsider the changes they have faced
- More compromises are considered
- Romance: Doubts slip in again
- Mystery: Determination to solve the crime
- Subplot: Issues develop

Act Three (Resolution)

Part Seven (Victory seems impossible)

Chapter 19 – Trials (set-up)
- New complications
- Problems becoming overwhelming
- Internal doubts intensify
- Romance: New doubts about resolving differences
- Mystery: Questions develop
Chapter 20 – Pinch (event/conflict) – SECOND TURNING POINT
- Characters face something unexpected that makes everything worse
- Danger is growing real
- Fear develops
- Goals forced to change
- Romance: Frustrated
- Mystery: Solution of the crime appears to be impossible
- Subplot: Complicated
Chapter 21 – Darkest moment (resolution) – BLACK MOMENT
- Revelations cause damage
- Hidden backstory is revealed
- External demands intensify
- One character possibly leaves
- Romance: Conflict drives the romance apart
- Mystery: Misinterpretation of clues leads solution in wrong direction

Part Eight (Characters find power)

Chapter 22 – Power within (set-up)
- Re-evaluate goals and compromises
- Desire to succeed
- Romance: Buds again
- Mystery: Sleuth reviews the clues to determine where he went wrong
- Subplot: Finishes
Chapter 23 – Action (conflict)
- External conflicts resolved
- Internal conflicts change
- Pursue character who may have left
- Romance: Determined to find a way to be together
- Mystery: Sleuth seeks positive proof to back up the yet undisclosed conclusion
Chapter 24 – Converge (resolution)
- Goals change and force characters to change
- Romance: Stronger determination
- Mystery: Crucial evidence overlooked earlier takes on a new meaning now

Part Nine (Fight to win)

Chapter 25 – Battle (set-up)
- Characters have one last battle (physical, emotional, or mental)
- Reflection on all the changes
- Internal conflicts faced
- Romance: Doubts are faced
- Mystery: Sleuth is strengthened for the final action leading to the actual solution
Chapter 26 – Climax (conflict)
- Decisions will impact the rest of the characters’ lives
- Romance: Accept what is important
- Mystery: Dramatic confrontation between the sleuth and the perpetrator in which the sleuth prevails
Chapter 27 – Resolution (resolution)
- Immediate reaction to decisions made
- Life changes
- Romance: Relationship is secured
- Mystery: Revelation of clues and the deductive process lead to the solution