The Writing Blueprint ~ Week Three

Writing Blueprint Lesson 3: The Structure Map

There are many ways to approach story structure. As a beginning writer, I used the 3-act structure, but now, I prefer the 5-act structure because I feel it’s a bit more directive in terms of what is required in each part of the book to keep the story moving. Today, I’m going to share the structure map I use when building a story.

The first question I ask myself is who are my characters and what is keeping them apart, both internally and externally. (See Lessons One and Two for help with this.)

The internal conflicts are the things in our lives that impact our future actions. For example, if someone has just been through a massive breakup, she may not want to jump right into something else, even though the opportunity is in front of her. Her internal compass has a big warning flashing when it comes to dating.

External conflicts are the things that happen outside of our heads that keep us from achieving a certain goal. For example, if you love someone, but they live far away, that could be an external conflict. How do the characters work through that to achieve their happy ending?

I try to have both in my books.

Once I have those conflicts ironed out, I will apply that premise to the 5-act structure. My books range somewhere between 70,000 and 80,000 words, and my first drafts are thin, coming in just at about 70,000 words (or less!), so 70,000 is the number I shoot for. (Take your total desired word count and divide by 5 to get how many words—approximately—you’ll need for each act.)

Since romance is character-driven, here’s what I map out for each character:

Act 1 (For 75,000 words, this act is approximately 0-15,000 words long; for 80,000, 0-16,000):

In this act, we’re setting the stage for the reader. We want to drop them right into the first scene that leads to the beginning of our conflict. In this act, our main character will be in one of these three states: she may not have a clue, yet, what her problem is; she might have a clue but not have the entire picture; or she might know exactly what’s wrong, but she doesn’t know how to fix it. Decide which of the three states your character will be in. For the first 15,000-16,000 words, all her actions need to be based in one of these states. Then drop her into the plot.

Act 2 (For 75,000 words, this act is approximately from your 15,000-word mark to 30,000 words; for 80,000, 16,000-32,000):

In this act, your character will begin to face the issue at hand. You will need to build a scene that makes them question where they were in the first act. In this act, they will be in one of three states again: they will either be in complete denial of their problem; they will begin to see it; or they will admit the issue, try to come up with ways to fix it, and still have no idea. Again, all the character’s actions should be based in this level of understanding.

Act 3 (For 75,000 words, this act is approximately from your 30,000-word mark to 45,000 words; for 80,000, 32,000-48,000): This is the very middle of the book, so it’s also the middle of your plot. In this act, the character(s) must face the issue, but it isn’t at its worst just yet. Things are ramping up for the next act, which is the lowest point in the conflict. In this act, the character is investigating their situation, or they’ve had a realization of what’s going on, but they don’t have what they need to resolve it just yet. Your character should act and respond within this level of knowledge.

Act 4 (For 75,000 words, this act is approximately from your 45,000-word mark to 60,000 words; for 80,000, 48,000-64,000 *This act can be shorter or longer, depending on your conflict.):

This is the lowest point in your character’s journey. This is when they’re at their most vulnerable and worried; when they have a full understanding of what’s going on and what’s ahead of them; or when they’re terribly worried about the consequences of their actions or understanding. Your character’s actions throughout this section of the book should be rooted in this fear/knowledge while the plot is taking place around them.

Act 5 (For 75,000 words, this act is approximately from your 60,000-word mark to 75,000 words: for 80,000, 64,000-80,000):

This is the act where all the loose ends will be tied up. In this act, the characters make their decisions, find resolutions, and create their happy endings. This is the spot where all the things that caused worry in the character are resolved in a meaningful (and in our case, heartwarming) way that will help the character through her internal and external struggles. For romantic fiction, it should all end happily.

This concludes our three-week series, The Writing Blueprint. We hope you’re armed with the tools you need to create that perfect story! Happy writing!

© Jenny Hale