I recently watched this video posted by @criticalhitstory, about the three-act story structure. If you’re at all interested in writing films, or writing any kind of story really, I recommend you watch at least the first half of this video essay.
I’m not going to hash out everything in this video – I just want to call attention to the first point, which is something that’s fascinated me about storytelling for a while, but I’ve never heard someone else put into words before.
The three-act story structure is not something that was created. It’s something we’ve observed. It is not prescriptive; it’s descriptive. It’s not how a story shouldbe told; rather, it’s how stories aretold.
“The three act story structure is not something that was created. It’s something we’ve observed. It is not prescriptive; it is descriptive. It’s not how a story should be told; rather how stories are told”
This. This is what I’ve tried to convey to people so many times. The three act structure isn’t some marketing scheme designed to shoehorn your story into a cookie cutter mold, it’s the product of a millennia of human psychology. Learning how and why it is the way it is will enhance your stories rather than restrict them.
It has been a long time since my last blog post. But I’m back and hopefully on a more consistent basis.
This January, my manuscript reached 40,000 words. A fine achievement in which I proudly pat myself on the back. As I’ve mentioned in past blogs, everyday now is the farthest I’ve ever gone. This is a good sign that shows that I can go for the long haul. I can do this writing thing kinda daily.…
