Welcome. It is Friday and time to look at an aspect of writing, well, a little it anyway.
A story takes place in acts, just like a play. There is a lot of talk about the difference between three act and four act. The bottom line is no matter how you label it, the story has to do the same thing. First, we have to establish the normal world, introduce our protagonist, and show them in a safe little bubble. We need to include the hook, why do we want to read this story, and the inciting incident.
The second act, if you are using three act, is long and can get bogged down. I found an answer to this problem. It was given to me by Larry Brooks in his book "Story Engineering". He is the first one to show me a four act structure which is what I will use here. If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it Link for it here: https://www.amazon.com/Story-Engineering-Larry-Brooks/dp/1582979987/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496422997&sr=8-1&keywords=story+engineering+by+larry+brooks This book helped me get structure down in my mind. The second act is where the protagonist is lost and confused as to what is happening to them. Think of it, from their POV as a mystery they have to solve or die. The protagonist at this point is fighting to stay alive. The stay alive can be literal or metaphorical, such as not loose girl.
The third act is the protagonist figuring out what has happened, who is after them or maybe what the love interest wants. At this point they need to form a plan, stay alive, and gather intelligence on the antagonist.
The fourth act is where the protagonist turns the table on the antagonist, fights the good fight, overcomes, and wins creating a "new world" at least for themselves. Or you could look at it as the protagonist as being changed in some way. It can be subtle or not, as you the writer sees fit.
There you have it. Story structure in a nutshell. Please study Larry's book, no I don't know him or profit in any way, I'm just trying to help you write. Can't afford it, the library should be able to get it for you.
Have a great weekend and happy writing.
