Day 21 - First Act

The First Act
The first act of a novel is the first 20-25% of the story. The first act is an introduction to the main character and the purpose of the story. It should encapsulate all the answers related to the 5 W's: Who, Where, When, What, and Why, and it should do all of that before any of the real action begins. The reader should learn what everyday life is like for the main character and what they want that they can't obtain because of some lie that they believe.
 
After you confirm you have all the elements of a good first act, you will start narrowing in on the first chapter, then the first paragraph and first sentence. Each level has its own set of key elements.
 
Today's exercise includes a checklist you can work from in order to confirm you have all (or at least most) of the elements that make up a good first act. If you're skeptical of the list, pull out  your favorite novel and see how it's first act stacks up.

Exercise: First Act Checklist
Many of the items in the First Act checklist will have already been tackled by previous exercises, so this is an opportunity to review and make sure you haven't missed anything.

1. Create a new page in the Developmental Edit section called "First Act Checklist"
   If you need help creating a new page in Microsoft OneNote, check here.
2. Copy and past the list below onto your new page.
3. Turn the list into a checklist using the To Do tags.
   If you need instructions on creating a To Do list in Microsoft OneNote, check here.
4. Review  your first act by returning to your Day 9 Story Map and Day 7 Chapter Summary. Use the Story Map to determine which of your first chapters in the Chapter Summary encompass the First Act.
5. Check off the items from the list that have been included in your first act.
6. For any items that have not been checked off, see if you can revise your chapters and improve it by including more of the "first act elements" or moving elements that show up later in the story.

 
First Act Elements List
Who

• The main character has been introduced as the first character in the story
• The main character is worthy of the reader's love or admiration
• The main character has revealed at least one major flaw
• The antagonist has been identified
• The significant others related to the main character have been identified at least with a mention

Where

• The settings have been introduced and clarified
• Each setting feels like a unique location
• Some of the settings have been treated as characters

When

• The season, date, and/or time has been established

What

• The main character has revealed what they want
• The main character has revealed the lie they believe in

Why

• The reason the main character decides the peril will be worth the glory
  

 
DOWNLOAD:  First Act Checklist Worksheet
Template Instructions
 
Return to the Table of Contents
Go to Day 22 - First Chapter