three-act structure

"Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out!"

- Michael Palin

I wanted to continue the topic I began in a previous column because the topic is terribly complex, and it happens to hit close to the root of my true passion: story.

"Thou shalt count to three, no more, no less. Three shalt be the number that thou count, and the number of the counting shall be three."

- Michael Palin

Your story has three acts. It doesn't matter if it's a two act play, a five act television show, a single feature film, or a three act play. Your story has three acts. Unless it sucks.