Principles of 3 Act Story Structure Michael Unger

Principles of 3 Act Story Structure Michael Unger

Story • • • Character Desire Conflict Visible level of all three Create emotion in the audience

Act One: Create Character Identification

Character Identification: • Make your character sympathetic

Character Identification • Put your Character in Jeopardy

Character Identification • Make your character likeable

Character Identification • Make your character funny

Character Identification • Make your character powerful

Act One: Set Up • Introduce protagonist in their ordinary world • Setting • Circumstances • Unusual storytelling techniques • Inciting Incident

Conflict on all levels • • Inner Conflict Personal Conflict Social Conflict Environmental Conflict

Act Two: Development • • Escalation Complications Subplots Reversals Turning Points Midpoint Crisis Decision

Subplots • • Complicate the main plot Resonate the controlling idea Contradict the controlling idea Retard action and intensify anticipation

Reversals • • • Surprise Increased curiosity Insight New direction Breaks up escalation

Turning Points • • Turns the action in a new direction Raises stakes Pushes the story into the next act Gives us a sense of a different focus for the action

Act Three • • • Dramatic Climax Resolution (? ) Unresolved subplots Spread of Effect Slow Curtain