Three-Act Structure
Plan setup, confrontation, and resolution with a visual three-act structure template for novels, screenplays, and short fiction.
Almost any story that needs a simple beginning, middle, and end.
Interactive preview
Drag the beats, pan the canvas, or zoom in
Map the turning points first.
Put these beats down before you write the scene list. The order matters less than the connections: what causes what, what mirrors what, and where the story changes direction.
- 01Opening
- 02Inciting Incident
- 03Act One Turn
- 04First Trial
- 05Midpoint
- 06Second Trial
- 07All Is Lost
- 08Climax
- 09Resolution
From framework to working map.
- 01
Start with the act turns and midpoint before adding smaller scenes.
- 02
Connect each turning point to the decision that causes it.
- 03
Use the map to check whether Act Two escalates instead of drifting.
Best fit
- Novels
- Screenplays
- Short stories
- Writers who want a flexible starter structure
Watch for
- Act Two can stay vague unless you add real pressure and reversals.
- The template shows shape, but it will not solve weak character motivation by itself.
A little context before you map.
Act One sets up the world and central problem, Act Two develops escalating conflict, and Act Three resolves the central dramatic question.
No. It works for novels, short fiction, and scripts because it describes a broad narrative shape rather than a screenplay-only formula.
Save the Cat Beat Sheet
Fifteen screenplay beats mapped as connected story events, with mirrors between the opening, theme, midpoint, and final image.
Novel Outline
A book-planning template for turning a premise into acts, chapters, character turns, and subplot checkpoints.
Screenplay Outline
A film-outline template for logline, act turns, sequences, beats, and scene-level pressure.