🟦 Act 1: The Setup

Establish the protagonist, their world, and the problem that disrupts it.

Core Elements:

• Opening image: Show the protagonist’s normal life — their beliefs, flaws, routine.
• Inciting Incident: Something changes that knocks them off balance.
• Key Decision / Doorway: The protagonist is forced to act — and enters the main story world (literally or figuratively).
• Act 1 Turning Point: Stakes rise and the protagonist commits to a course of action.

Checkpoint: The protagonist is no longer passive — they’ve accepted the journey, but are still in over their head.

🟨 Act 2: The Response

The protagonist reacts to the new world/situation, often poorly or passively.

Core Elements:

• Exploration & Setup: The protagonist starts learning the rules of this new situation.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies: They meet new characters and face early challenges.
• Subplots Emerge: Introduce inner conflict, secondary goals (romance, ideology, relationships).
• Midpoint (Act 2 Climax): A dramatic twist or revelation shifts the direction of the story.

Checkpoint: This is the shift from reaction to action. The protagonist begins to take control — but often based on flawed understanding.

🟧 Act 3: The Attack