Monday, Aug. 2

The Same Old Three Acts

J.J. Patrow points out what most fans of story already know:

The generic construction of the “Hollywood Three-Part Screenplay” is fairly straightforward. It doesn’t require too much discussion. I don’t mean to imply that the nuances of screenplay writing are simple, but learning to recognize the essential building blocks of the Hollywood screenplay and their proper order is fairly basic. And this basic knowledge is what most screenplay books seek to impart. The result is that they end up parroting each other. Sure, the average author may bring a more accessible voice, a particular emphasis on character or genre, a unique set of details, or even a set of fresh terms for pre-existing structural components, but the meat of the subject goes unchanged.

It is true that many of these gurus cover the same basic three-act structure, but the problem isn’t that they are rehashing the same thing over and over again, the problem is that they seldom ask Why?. This is why many writers reject their “rules.” Why follow what this guy says if he doesn’t take the time to actually explain why this pattern exists?

This sequence exists because it represents the same sort of thought process that goes on within a human mind as it seeks out to solve a particular problem. Character, plot, theme and genre are simply manifestations of this development of thought made external for the consumption of others. There is nothing wrong with what these gurus are saying. What they point out is in fact a reality of all stories – at least, those stories that seek to argue a particular approach towards resolving issues.

The truth of the matter is that there are actually four evenly spaced, equally at length, acts. This is why Field modified his book later to show the Midpoint in the Second act. Four acts are what is necessary to fully explore the issues at hand.

There is one error to point out though. In the super small charts that accompany the article, the Inciting Incident is placed right up against the First Act Turning Point. This is a point of constant confusion. The Inciting Incident is supposed to be the event or choice that begins the problems in a story. This is not the same thing as the event that turns the First Act into the Second. Often these are mistaken for the same plot point.

The Inciting Incident of Star Wars is Vader’s attack on Leia’s ship. The First Act Turning Point is when Luke’s Aunt and Uncle get fried. The Inciting Incident of The Godfather is Don Corleone’s decision not to go with the drug trade. The First Act Turning Point is Michael’s decision to join the family business. The key is finding out when problems start – that’s the domain of the Inciting Incident.