The secrets of the structure of the story: the first act

As promised we continue our journey on the secrets of the story structure. Once you've got the reader hooked, your next task is to put your first few chapters to work, introducing your characters, settings, and stakes. The first 20-25% of the book comprises your setup. At first glance, this may seem like a huge chunk of history to devote to introductions, but if you expect readers to stick with you throughout the story, you need to give them a reason to care first. It is precisely in this important part of the story, the point where this is achieved. Simple curiosity cannot get a reader very far. Once you've captured his attention and intrigued him, you need to increase the attraction by creating an emotional connection between your readers and your characters.

These "introductions" consist of much more than just introducing the characters and settings or explaining the stakes. The presentations themselves will likely require no more than a few scenes. After the introduction, your job is to explore the character and establish when the stakes really begin.

What are character/setting/phase introductions?

The first quarter of the book (the first act) is the place to gather all the components necessary for your story. Anton Chekhov's famous advice that "if in the first act you hung a gun on the wall, in the next it should have fired" is just as important in reverse: if you want a character to fire a gun later in the book, that gun should be introduced in the first act. The story you create in the following acts can only be assembled from the parts you showed the reader in this first act. This is your first duty in this section.

Your second duty is to give readers the opportunity to get to know your characters. Who are these people? What is the essence of their personality? What are their core beliefs (even more specifically, what are the beliefs that will be challenged or strengthened throughout the book)? If you can introduce a character in a "signature moment," you'll be able to immediately show readers who this person is. From there, the story unfolds as you delve deeper into what's at stake and establish the conflict that will come to a head in key events.

What do presentations belong to?

Introductions should ideally start in the opening chapter. Depending on the number of characters or the complexity of the settings, you'll probably want to space your introductions into several opening scenes. The most important thing to keep in mind is the need to give the characters enough space in these early chapters so they can focus on development. That doesn't mean the storyline has to be slow or meandering. Each scene must be relevant to the plot; each scene must be a domino that advances the characters to the point of no return. But remember not to cram so much action into these early scenes that you waste your opportunity to flesh out the characters before the bullets really start flying later on.

Some examples from movies and literature

Let's examine how the writers and directors of our four sample stories have capitalized on their first act.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Austen introduces characters, settings and stakes, all three, in the very first scene. After ten pages, we've been introduced to all the main characters, given insight into the setting, and shown what's at stake for the Bennett daughters if one of them fails to ensnare the unwitting Mr. Bingley. By the time we reach the first major plot point, we've learned about the sisters. The beauty and sweetness that will eventually win Jane a husband, the independence and strong opinions with which Lizzy steers the conflict, and the disturbing irresponsibility of her youngest daughter Lydia are all voiced and ready for use later in the story. . We were also introduced to the Bingleys, Darcys and Wickhams. Before the first act is over, Bingley is in love with Jane,

It's a Wonderful Life , directed by Frank Capra (1947)

The first quarter of this classic film is entirely, unabashedly, and beautifully set on character development. Under the pretext of explaining George Bailey to the novice angel Clarence, the supreme leader of the angels shows us all the important moments in George Bailey's young life. We see him as a child, saving his little brother's life, when he loses hearing in one ear and prevents old Mr. Gower from accidentally poisoning a customer. We glimpse him as a young man, planning his escape from 'crappy' Bedford Falls, even as he begins to fall in love with the lovely Mary Hatch. When the triggering event occurs, we know George Bailey inside out. We were introduced to Bedford Falls and its colorful array of inhabitants. And we learned of the stakes from the mouth of George's father, who explains the importance of the Bailey Building & Loan in giving people a refuge from evil old Potter.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game (1977)

Card uses his first act to establish his setting, the Orbital Battle School, where bright little kids are sent to train to ward off an alien invasion. We learn about this strange and brutal place through the eyes of the main character, Ender Wiggin, who is a newcomer, and in doing so, we also learn about Ender. We see his determination, his kindness, but also his underlying foundation of ruthlessness, which will eventually become the element around which the entire plot must revolve. Nearly every important supporting character is introduced, and readers are immediately shown what is at stake, not only for mankind, but also for Ender, if he doesn't overcome the handicap of his extreme youth to thrive in this place.

Master and Commander directed by Peter Weir (2004)

After the initial onslaught of the opening furious battle, Weir slows down his film considerably to allow viewers to get acquainted with the main characters: the captain and the surgeon, and the several dozen minor characters, present among the crew. The opening battle has already shown us that the stakes are very high, but the reactions of the characters, especially the intense desire of the captain to reassemble the ship and reengage the enemy, help us understand why they are fighting and what will happen next. if they fail. As the crew works to repair the battle damage on the ship, we're also given an inside view of the ship itself, which will play such an irreplaceable role for the rest of the story.

What we take with us

So what can we learn from these first masterful acts?

1. If the hook has done its job, you can safely slow down the action enough to introduce and deepen your characters.
2. All personality highlights, motivations and beliefs of the characters should be developed.
3. The pertinent points of the setting need to be clarified, so you don't have to slow down in the second act to explain things. Readers should already be oriented by the first plot point.
4. The very fact that readers are developing a bond with the characters ups the ante. Drive home the point by clarifying what the characters (and therefore the readers) will lose in the coming conflict.
5. Make sure every scene matters. Each scene must be a domino slamming into the next domino/scene, building inexorably to the first plot point.

The first quarter of the book lays the groundwork for your entire story. A weak foundation will bring down even the brightest of conflicts and climaxes. Do your groundwork, prepare all your necessary game pieces, and hook readers with an undeniable need to find out what will happen to your wonderful characters.

Stay tuned: Next week we'll be talking about First Plot Point .