Storytelling

Act One usually lasts the first quarter of the story and is focused on introduction and scene-setting. It also hooks the reader into the story and sets up the story’s conflict, foreshadowing, and stakes.

• Exposition. Act One introduces the protagonists, important characters, setting, and status quo, or how things are going at present. It also introduces the protagonist’s needs and wants.

• Inciting Incident. The inciting incident is the thing that sets the adventure in motion and launches the character head-first into drama. It changes the present situation and presents a means for the protagonist to progress as a character and achieve their goals.

• Plot Point 1. This is where the protagonist shows agency and makes a decision that was presented in the inciting incident. At this point, they make a decision that would usher them right into Act Two.

Act Two comprises the second and third quarters of the story and is where we see the protagonist react to the new environment, stakes, and/or obstacles in order to reach their goal. Along the way, they suffer from “one step forward, two steps back.”

• Rising Action. The protagonist gets to know their new surroundings, taking stock of the challenges/obstacles they’ll be meeting along the way. These can be other characters, oppositional forces, concepts, trials, or more; and they adapt and change to overcome these forces.

• Midpoint. In the middle of the story, an impactful event reaffirms the story's goals and stakes through something going wrong. The character feels the heavy loom of the stakes as the goal is directly threatened.

• Plot Point 2. As with Plot Point 1, the character must make an active choice once more. Sobered by the events in the Midpoint, the protagonist is in low spirits, and Plot Point 2 hammers in their resolve to reach their goal.

Act Three is the last part of the story, and normally covers the last quarter, or less, of it. Here, the protagonist summons the courage to overcome their fears, limitations, and inner obstacles in order to conquer the antagonistic forces.

• Pre-Climax. Wherein the protagonist’s doubts and fears surface as they challenge the antagonist head-on.

• Climax. This is where the protagonist rises from the ashes of the previous event and the conflict comes to a close. Here, protagonists show their growth from the beginning of the story and use the things they’ve learned to slay the beast.

• Denouement. While the conflict closes in the Climax, the story closes in the denouement. This is where the protagonist’s goals are achieved and shows that they’ve changed from who they were at the beginning. The storyteller also must follow through with the setup they made throughout the story: tie up loose ends, provide explanations, ease the tension, and beat in the theme of the narrative.

• Character Agency. In Plot Points One and Two, the plot’s momentum depends on the decisions made by the protagonist. These decisions are informed by the protagonist’s desires. The protagonist gets to make decisions that would help them get closer to what they want and what they think they need.

• Character Development. Throughout the story, the protagonist grows and they realize that what they want is not what they need.

• External Conflict. Differing goals 一 in other words, differing desires 一 are the basis of conflict. The protagonist wants one thing and the antagonist wants another. The interaction of these two differing desires causes tension and drama in a story.

• Internal Conflict. As the protagonist makes their way through the story, they may battle with the beliefs and values they had established in Act One. This includes the realization that what they need doesn’t align with what they want. This drama of action and intention being different from values and beliefs make for an interesting development.

A story functions similarly to a stand-up comedy routine in that an effective narrative framework should be in place in order for a satisfying resolution or for the plot to make sense.

When writing jokes, comedians often separate their bits into two parts: the setup and the punchline. The former could be weird thoughts, funny anecdotes, or other things comedians say but they aren’t said for the sake of it. Setup lays the groundwork for the rest of the joke. Without an effective setup, a punchline would simply fall flat.

Making a Setup

There are multiple ways to create setup effectively but, broadly speaking, these ways fall under two categories: character motivation and the status quo.

• Character Motivation. This method of setting up pertains to the needs and wants of a character. Establishing a character’s motivations within a story influences how they behave and, in turn, how the story progresses. This is especially important in character-driven plots, where the stories usually culminate in things like disagreements, alliances, or more brought on by motivations that either align or disagree.

• The Status Quo. This method pertains to the situations or events the characters face as described in the exposition. Much like character motivation, this affects the way characters behave and it could cover scopes outside of a character’s needs and wants. Examples of this setup are wars, personal or interpersonal conflicts, etc. Although the status quo may not be directly influenced by a character’s actions, it could instead do the reverse, in that it affects a character’s motivations and subsequently their actions.

Punchlines usually refer to the end of a joke, a humorous final statement, usually subverting audience expectations. In storytelling, they act as the culmination of all that was established in the setup. They could be absurd and unexpected or even predictable but satisfying. The important part is that it ties up loose ends.

Making the Punchline

Although delivering a solid punchline may seem straightforward, plenty goes into executing a proper punchline.

• Jab lines. In comedy, jab lines are similar to mini punchlines. They build comedic tension throughout a set and propel the joke without giving the final punchline away. When it comes to storylines, these are the elements that allude to the big event without revealing it outright, similar to foreshadowing or Easter eggs.

• Keep the setup in mind. It’s easy to get carried away with shockingly revealing your narrative punchline but one should always remember to build up plausible expectations during setup. No matter how jarring or clever the punchline is, the ultimate payoff wouldn’t matter if the setup barely helps build-up to it. Think of it as making a plot twist for the sake of having a twist and not the story. It isn’t satisfying.