The 31-Point Plot Structure

So you’re writing a novel. Maybe you want to arrange it in a tried-and-true way. You start writing it in three acts, only to find out that some people don’t divide stories into three acts. Most of Shakespeare is five acts and four was the default for a long time. What do you do??

Lots of people are there to give you advice. Don’t divide your story into three-five acts, opt for seven, eight, or maybe even 12, 15, or 17!¹ Don’t make it a story arc, opt for a pyramid or a circle!

What can you do? Well, read another post because this one will only make your life even more complicated:

Stage	Campbell’s Monomyth (17 Stages)	Save the Cat! (15 Beats)	Volger’s Hero’s Journey (12 Stages)	Nigel Watt’s 8-Point Arc	Dan Harmon’s Story Circle	Seven-Point	Freytag’s Pyramid	Three-Act Structure
1		1. Opening Image: An opening snapshot.
2			1. The Ordinary World: the hero is seen in their everyday life	1. Stasis (The story’s “ordinary” life)	1. You (A character is in a zone of comfort or familiarity.)	1. The Hook: a compelling introduction to the story’s intriguing world and/or characters
3		2. Theme Stated
4		3. Set-up					1. Exposition	1. Setup
5	1. The Call to Adventure: the initiating incident of the story		2. The Call to Adventure: the initiating incident of the story	2. Trigger (Something outside the character’s control appears)	2. Want (They desire something.)	2. Call to Action an inciting incident that brings the protagonist into an adventure	2. Inciting Incident	2. Inciting Incident
6	2. Refusal of the Call: the hero experiences some hesitation to answer the call		3. Refusal of the Call: the hero experiences some hesitation to answer the call
7	3. Supernatural Aid		4. Meeting with the Mentor: the hero gains the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to commence the adventure
8	4. Crossing the First Threshold: the hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure	4. Catalyst	5. Crossing the First Threshold: the hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure	3. Quest (to return to ordinary or to find a new normal)	3. Go (They enter an unfamiliar situation.)	3. This is a Real Problem: the stakes are raised with the introduction of the antagonist or the major conflict or challenge	3. Rising Action	3. Plot Point 1
9	5. Belly of the Whale
10		5. Debate
11	6. The Road of Trials		6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: the hero explores the special world, faces trial, and makes friends and enemies	4. Surprise (Unexpected but plausible obstacles, complications, conflict, trouble.)	4. Search (They adapt to that situation.)
12	7. The Meeting with the Goddess
13	8. Woman as the Temptress
14			7. Approach to the Innermost Cave: the hero nears the center of the story and the special world
15	9. Atonement with the Father
16		6. Break into Two
17		7. B Story
18		8. Fun and Games
19	10. Apotheosis	9. Midpoint	8. The Ordeal: the hero faces the greatest challenge yet and experiences death and rebirth	5. Critical choice (Conscious decision to take a path and reveal character and values)		4. Midpoint: a turning point in the story where the protagonist goes from reaction to action	Rising Action (continued)	Midpoint
20	11. The Ultimate Boon		9. Reward: the hero experiences the consequences of surviving death		5. Find (They get that which they wanted.)
21	12. Refusal of the Return
22	13. The Magic Flight:	10. Bad Guys Close In
23		11. All Is Lost				5. Jaws of Defeat: the major conflict takes a turn for the worse, and all appears lost for the protagonist
24		12. Dark Night of the Soul: lowest emotional point
24								Character goes to eat a sandwich
25				6. Climax (peak of tension)			Climax	Plot Point 2
26	14. Rescue from Without	13. Break into Three				6. Last Piece of the Puzzle: the protagonist discovers something that helps them resolve the major conflict or defeat the antagonist
27	15. Crossing of the Return Threshold		10. The Road Back: the hero returns to the ordinary world or continues to an ultimate destination		6. Take (They pay a heavy price for it.)		Falling Action
28	16. Master of the Two Worlds	14. Finale	11. The Resurrection: the hero experiences a final moment of death and rebirth so they are pure when they reenter the ordinary world	7. Reversal (Inevitable and probable)	7. Return (They return to their familiar situation.)	Resolution: the major conflict is resolved, and the antagonist is defeated	Resolution	Climax
29			12. Return with the Elixir: the hero returns with something to improve the ordinary world	8. Resolution (Fresh stasis)	8. Change (They have changed as a result of the journey.)			Denouement
30	17. Freedom to Live
31		15. Final Image

There! Now that you know the 31 plot points you must include, you’re set, right?

Oh, no! You just learned about feminist story structures! They can be fractal, networking, cells, exploding, radial, spiral, or meander stories. Should you try to include any of those?

Oh, my god, those are all Western structures! What about koans or proverbs, or calls and responses?

You know what? Maybe you should call it a day and just write what you want.

🙂