Stories are multifaceted pieces of art. They not only have a beginning, middle, and end, but they have beats and elements within the story that are designed to keep the reader invested throughout the book. Act one is there to prepare the reader, to set the stage, so to speak. Act two is where all the fun happens. Act three is where it all gets resolved. Not every book only has three acts, but three is a great number, and three acts is a common format.
There are many ways one can approach the construction of a story structure, but my personal favorite is found in a book called Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody. In this book, there is what is called a beat sheet. A list of fifteen beats that must be hit in a story to keep the reader engaged and give the “heroes” of the story all they need to reach the end. In this book, Brody explains the fifteen “beats” she uses to write a great story (this process was originally developed for screenwriters). She points out a collection of books that used these fifteen beats before she wrote her book, showing this is a common layout. But what are these fifteen beats, and what is their role in the story? Let’s dive into this process and take a look.
Act One
From beginning to end, according to Brody, a book should cover fifteen beats, each taking place at a certain point in the story. In act one, there are five beats: opening image, theme stated, setup, catalyst, and debate (page 29). With these five beats, the writer sets up the reader to understand where the character starts, what problem they need to solve, how their world works, the catalyst that thrusts them into the rest of the story, and the process that character goes through to decide how they should respond to that catalyst. Let’s look a closer look at these five beats.
Opening Image and Theme Stated
The opening image is the first part of your story that tells people who your character is. Bordy calls this a “before” snapshot of your hero and their world” (page 24). This image shows your reader who this book is about and their state of mind before they go on whatever journey you have prepared for them in the pages of your novel.
The theme stated is a statement that points out what problem your main character will need to face and learn from. This is more of a personal problem rather than a physical struggle. The theme is usually tied very closely to the main character’s personal flaw. Brody says this statement “hints” at what your main character’s “life lesson” will be (page 24).
Setup
The setup of a novel is “where we learn what the hero’s life looks like before its epic transformation” (page 24). This differs from the opening image in two ways. One, it is more focused on the world around the character, the world the main character lives in, than it is on the main character. However, it contains some of the same elements as the opening image. The second way they differ is in scope. The setup encompasses a larger portion of the book than the opening image and includes other characters who may be important to the rest of the story or the main character’s arc.
Catalyst and Debate
The catalyst is the event that thrusts your main character into the rest of the book. Brody says this beat is what changes it all and should be big enough to leave the character with no choice but to change (page 25). This can be a death, a job change, or a natural disaster. There are all kinds of catalysis, but the important part is that it has a profound impact on the main character.
The debate is what happens when the character comes face to face with this catalyst. It is in this beat where the main character decides what they will do. Brody says this is a “reaction sequence” and is “usually presented in the form of a question” (page 25). The main character may ask what they will do about the change, having an internal, or sometimes external, conversation where they make this critical decision.
Act Two
Next, we get into act two, where the story picks up, and your main character goes through all the hoops and over the obstacles as deep and personal change takes place. This part of the story is where things get exciting. Act two includes the largest portion of the story, taking up about sixty percent of the story and including seven of the fifteen beats.
Break into 2, B Story, and Fun and Games
“Break into 2” is the beat where the main character begins their journey. Brody says this is where they “accept the call to action, leave their comfort zone, try something new, or venture into a new world or a new way of thinking” (page 25). This is where it all begins to change.
The “B story” is where everything else comes into play. Other characters are added, specifically one who will help the main character achieve their goal. Brody says this can be “a love interest, a nemesis, a mentor, a family member, or a friend” who helps the main character learn their lesson (page 25).
Then comes the fun part. This beat is so fun to write that Brody refers to it as “Fun and Games” (page 25). Fun and games is a large chunk of the book where the main character is going through it all, either in a good way or a bad way. In some stories, the character fails miserably; in others, they seem to be getting it all right. Still, in other stories, maybe they are going on a more up-and-down path to the next beat.
Midpoint
The midpoint is where it all changes once again. This is where, as Brody says in her book, “Fun and Games culminates in either a false victory…or a false defeat” (page 25). In other words, everything the character has gone through during fun and games either turns out to be a success or a failure, but they don’t know it yet. They find out at the midpoint. This midpoint throws the main character on their head and raises the stakes.
Bad Guys Close In, All is Lost, and Dark Night of the Soul
Bad guys close in is where Bordy says the outcome of the midpoint begins to show itself. “If the Midpoint was a false victory, this section will be a downward path…If the Midpoint was a false defeat, this section will be an upward path…” (page 25). Whatever the outcome, this is also where the tension rises as the bad guys begin to get closer to their own goal.
Speaking of the bad guys, the next beat, all is lost, is where it seems they have won. The main character is in shambles; they have reached the end of their rope, they might even be on the verge of death, and there seems to be no way out. Brody says they have reached “rock bottom.” What will happen next? How will they respond?
Having experienced rock bottom in the previous beat, your main character must now respond in the dark night of the soul beat. Will they return to how they were before their journey, or will they improve? This is very similar to the debate beat as it includes your main characters’ internal and sometimes eternal battle to overcome and decide how they will respond. Brody says this beat is “the last moment before the real change occurs” (page 63).
Act Three
Finally, your main character arrives at act three with only three beats left in the story. This act is where it all comes to a close. Where the story is completed, and your character arrives at their new and improved self.
Break into 3
This act starts with what Brody calls “Break into 3,” where the character emerges from their dark night of the soul and sets foot in their new world. Brody says this is the main character’s “aha moment,” where the main character “realizes what they must do” to solve their problems and improve himself (page 26).
Finale and Final image
Now that your main character knows what to do to solve the problems they have been facing throughout the book, they set off on the final act of the story, the finale. That one final act that will bring their arc to a close for this book and resolve all the questions asked and battles fought. But not only has the main character solved their problem, their world has changed. Brody says this beat is where the main character’s world is a “better place than it was before” (page 26).
This leads to the final image. Much like the opening image, this final image leaves the reader with an impression of how the main character has changed. It shows their new world, the one their trials and tribulations have led them to. Bordy calls this a “mirror to the opening image” and an “‘after’ snapshot” of the hero after they have learned their lesson and grown into a new person (page 26).
Closing Thoughts
If you are about to write a novel, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is a great resource. While I have only covered the main beats that Brody discusses in her book, there is so much more to learn about in the pages of Brody’s book, including deeper dives into what each beat entails, tips for how to write each beat, percentages that tell you where in your book each beat should be addressed, and more!
Resource: Save the Cat! Writes a Novel
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