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Category Archives: Acts
Introducing Your Characters in Act 1
Some stories introduce characters as people and then let the reader/audience discover their roles and relationships afterward. This tends to help an audience identify with the characters. Other stories put roles first, so that we know about the person by … Continue reading
Posted in Acts, Building Characters, Novel Writing, Writing Tip of the Day
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Questions About Act Order in Different Cultures
A writer asked the following question regarding my earlier article, “Changing Dramatica’s Suggested Act Order.” How does one go about sussing this out? What approach would you recommend if I were trying to figure out which argument is primary in … Continue reading
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3 Act vs. 4 Act Structure
The following excerpt is taken from The Dramatica Class Transcripts William S1 : After working so long in 3-act structure, I’m unclear on Dramatica’s four-act structure. Dramatica : Okay, let’s address that question… Dramatica sees both a structural and a … Continue reading
Posted in Acts, Signposts & Journeys
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Characters in the Middle of Act Three
In baseball, they call it the “seventh inning stretch.” In stories, it is called the middle of act 3. Up to this point, your characters and your reader/audience have been on a roller coaster that’s been going higher and higher, … Continue reading
Posted in Acts, Characters, Story Development
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What Happens in Acts One, Two and Three?
By Melanie Anne Phillips Here’s a good general template for beginning writers that outlines some of the key events and activities that are best addressed in each of your three acts. ACT ONE Act one is about the Set Up. … Continue reading
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Genre – Act by Act
Many writers have a misconception that genre is something you “write in” – like a box. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Genre is the overall mood of a story, created through structural and storytelling elements and approaches. This … Continue reading
3 Act vs. 4 Act Structure
The following is a transcript from an online class on the Dramatica theory of story hosted by its co-creator, Melanie Anne Phillips signed on as Dramatica: William S1 : After working so long in 3-act structure, I’m unclear on Dramatica’s … Continue reading
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