3-Act Structure, It’s Not All Greek, I Promise

SCBWI Next Level — Master Class

3-Act Structure. ALL the pro writing teachers thump it like a one-size-fits-all, universal drum. John Truby, Martha Alderson, The Plot Whisperer, Save The Cat’s Blake Snyder. 3-Act structure is the cornerstone of their instruction. Why? Because it’s one of the few parts of writing that can be quantified AND it works! Given that it’s the brainchild of Aristotle, you could even say it has withstood the test of time.

But, where these writing pros leave off, Scarborough keeps going. By delving into which part of your story belongs in which act Scarborough simplifies this powerful, story-telling technique. 3-Act structure will provide a spine for your story while also establishing pace. It’s as useful for first drafting as it is for revisions.

Want to know what happens next in your story? Check your plot.

Need to cut 20K words? Structure can tell you where.

Want to know the best place for a flashback? See structure. Also, structure sells books.

We’ll examine the structure of some of YA best sellers to clearly see what they did right (or is it did write!)