My regular readers might notice that my past two piece have been about Act Three and Act Two, but for some reason, I am naming this piece, "The Opening Act." Well, a lot of people put their interest in the first act in the same way they would treat an opening act at a concert: Its purpose is to basically get the reader settled in, get some mood going, maybe something to cheer about before the big show starts. Well, that's what an opening act is for. It is definitely not what Act One is for.
In any written piece, Act One carries a lot of weight. Not only does it have to introduce the reader to the world and its characters, it also has to set the mood, establish pace, do a lot of prep work for things to come, provide some kind of challenge for the characters, and push them into action. Oh - don't forget the very compelling first paragraph (sentence, if possible). Act One is responsible for more than any opening act - Act One can single-handedly make or break a story within the first few pages.The better Act One treatments are those that let different elements come together all at once, establishing place, period, and anything else important to the moment. "Ten-year-old Jeb walked barefoot along the winding path toward the creek, pushing aside the overgrown honeysuckle with an old stick and whistling aimlessly on a summer's day." With one sentence we can establish a lot, introduce our readers to a very light mood, a nice scene of an easygoing summer's day, and offer up a character for the reader to focus on. Does it grab the reader in the same way a gunshot or a car chase might? No, but surprisingly, a large number of stories have very little gunfire or car chases. In these cases, we draw our reader in with a clear, concise picture.
Of course, we need to bring forth the challenge this young Jeb is going to face sooner or later, and in most cases, sooner is better. The obstacle could be simple - the school bully and his friends are already at the creek and they want to mess with Jeb. Maybe he stumbles across a dead dog wearing a fancy collar and realizes it's his neighbor's golden retriever. Maybe he goes around a bend and meets the aliens. Who's to say? Early in Act One we need an event of interest that is going to not only show who our main character is, but will also establish how they respond to a situation - a quality of the character that will change as the story progresses. If little Jeb runs from the bully, doesn't tell their neighbor about the dog, or is scared of the aliens, then this will represent his potential vector for growth in the story. Hopefully by the end, he will be able to befriend the alien, let his neighbor know the bad news, or stomp the bully into the dirt.
Lastly, Act One closes with the "Call to Action." This is the part where the character decides to do something; take a step they would usually not take. Sometimes this is forced upon the character, sometimes it's the character's choice. Whatever it is, it is the character engaging in the first step of becoming something different. Something they weren't prepared for. It is where the adventure begins. And hopefully, it doesn't take up one-third of the book to kick things into gear.
So, no, Act One is nothing like the opening act. An opening act is just tolerable enough as to not disappoint you while you wait for the big show to start. When done right, Act One is the big show.
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