CHAPTER OVERVIEW
ACT I
1. Intro
2. Inciting Incident
3. Immediate Reaction
4. Reaction
5. Action
6. Consequence
7. Pressure
8. Pinch
9. Push
ACT II
1. New World
2. Fun & Games
3. Old Contrast
4. Build Up
5. Midpoint
6. Reversal
7. Consequence
8. Trials
9. Dedication
ACT III
1. Calm Before the Storm
2. Pinch
3. Darkest Point
4. Power Within
5. Action
6. Converge
7. Battle
8. Climax
9. Resolution
CHAPTER DESCRIPTIONS
Having the outline might be less helpful than intended, so we’ll also include
short descriptions of each block to guide you as you write your rough outline.
To further explain what each chapter is supposed to achieve, let’s try to
follow the sample story of Sarah and Jane as they work together, Sarah as a
new hire in the lab and Jane as a ghost after dying without ever reconciling
with Sarah, and seek to avenge Jane’s death.
ACT I
1. Intro: Introduce Hero and the ordinary world.
1. We meet Jane and Sarah, two sisters that hate each other. Jane
is an overachiever and Sarah is a slacker.
2. Inciting Incident: A problem disrupts the Hero’s life that will kick off
the rest of the story.
1. Jane abruptly dies and her death was assumed to be a suicide.
3. Immediate Reaction: The Hero deals with the inciting incident and/or
the changes that result from the inciting incident.
1. After Jane dies, Sarah’s tattoo starts hurting and she sees visions
of Jane, telling Sarah that Jane was murdered. It seems Jane’s
ghost is bound to Sarah’s tattoo.
4. Reaction: Long-term reaction. The reader begins to understand just
how the inciting incident will affect the Hero’s life.
1. Sarah freaks out. She doesn’t want to be haunted by Jane. She
tries to find ways to exorcise her sister, but nothing works
(refusal to the call to action). The sisters determine that Sarah
needs to help Jane pass on by dealing with her unfinished
business.
5. Action: The Hero decides to act and makes a decision that will impact
the rest of the story.
1. Sarah decides she must get herself into the elite program her
sister was involved in.
6. Consequence: The result of the decision made (see Action).
1. Because of her decision. Sarah now has to study and prepare for
the tests.
7. Pressure: The Hero begins to feel the pressure of the task before
them and is stressed.
1. Sarah is taking the test and doing the interview, a pressured and
stressful situation she did not expect to have.
8. Pinch: Things get a little more complicated and the Hero wonders if
the right decision was made. (see Action) A plot twist happens.
1. It turns out that the test isn’t just a written test. There’s a hands-
on portion that Sarah didn’t account for. Jane, the ghost sister,
helps out at the last minute.
9. Push: The Hero is pushed in a new direction.
1. Sarah gets a tour of the lab. She meets new people that work
there. She’s pushed into a new world.
ACT II
1. New World: The Hero experiences a new world or situation.
1. Sarah’s first days in the lab went pretty well, learning new
things, spending time with new people, etc.
2. Fun & Games: The Hero explores and interacts in the new world. This
is a good place to build relationships, romantic or otherwise, and
develop your character more.
1. Sarah starts off a possible romance with someone in the lab who
Jane, the ghost sister, hates.
3. Old Contrast: The Hero compares the new world to the old, and is
reminded of how much has changed.
1. Sarah and Jane are fighting. Jane wants Sarah to focus on the
work and not the guy she’s just met.
4. Build Up: This is where you prepare for the major turning point in your
story. There is some form of struggle, internal or external, that will
motivate your Hero to take matters into their own hands.
1. Sarah and Jane’s fighting gets to a boiling point, until Sarah
claims that Jane decided to commit suicide to gain attention
even after death. Jane gets hurt, decides to leave and not talk to
her.
5. Midpoint: The Hero encounters something that complicates their
plans and motivates them to change the course of events.
1. Sarah starts to find out new things on her own and then finally
considers that Jane might have been murdered.
6. Reversal: Everything changes.
1. The sisters make amends and discuss the possibilities of who
could have killed her.
7. Consequence: The Hero reflects upon what has happened.
1. Sarah decides to go to the police and try to report the murder.
They don’t buy it, as they need proof and evidence.
8. Trials: The Hero takes matters into their own hands and solves or
works around the roadblocks that occurred. (See Reversal)
1. Sarah is now wary of everyone in the lab. She starts to
investigate everyone in the lab. She might be nervous that she’s
the next target.
9. Dedication: The Hero is now determined to overcome the overall
issue.
1. Sarah still finds no hard evidence but she’s dedicated to figuring
it out.
ACT III
1. Calm Before The Storm: The Hero finds a solution, but now must
overcome doubt, or some other complication.
1. Sarah builds on her romance with the love interest.
2. Pinch: Plot Twist! Everything is worse than it was.
1. Sarah finds out that the love interest is the murderer.
3. Darkest Point: Everything seems lost.
1. Sarah is betrayed. She starts to contemplate on who she should
choose.
4. Power Within: The Hero finds the courage and the strength to carry
on.
1. Sarah chooses her sister and musters up the courage to continue
investigating.
5. Action: The Hero takes action, and overcomes the plot twist, before
taking on the overall issue again.
1. Sarah starts to act coy around the murderer to lower his guard
and find more evidence.
6. Converge: Everything comes together: the main plot, the subplot(s),
the conflict, etc. The big event is imminent.
1. The sisters have fully fixed their relationship and are working
together flawlessly.
7. Battle: The Hero fights the villain and/or tackles the overall issue, full
force.
1. Sarah and Jane fight the nemesis with all they’ve got.
8. Climax: The Hero either triumphs or succumbs to a fatal flaw.
1. Sarah gets the proof she needs and the love interest is arrested.
9. Resolution: Tie up all loose ends. Make sure the Hero has changed in
some way.
1. Jane finally rests in peace, and Sarah continues her career in the
lab.
