Comments on: The Three Act Structure http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:17:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v= hourly 1 By: megan fox http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9945 megan fox Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:42:02 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9945 Sign: umsun Hello!!! rcuwwymhyw and 9647ssgfhphzye and 8701I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz its really helpful. Sign: umsun Hello!!! rcuwwymhyw and 9647ssgfhphzye and 8701I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz its really helpful.

]]> By: maribell http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9944 maribell Wed, 01 Aug 2007 16:27:54 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9944 omg i luv the book "the dreaming" its my favorite book . omg i luv the book “the dreaming” its my favorite book .

]]> By: MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Another day, another podcast http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9943 MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Another day, another podcast Sun, 26 Nov 2006 15:08:23 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9943 [...] Christopher Butcher’s review of Fool’s Gold Queenie Chan on the three-volume format Butcher’s reply Heidi’s comeback [...] [...] Christopher Butcher’s review of Fool’s Gold Queenie Chan on the three-volume format Butcher’s reply Heidi’s comeback [...]

]]> By: JennyN http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9942 JennyN Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:18:45 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9942 I guess tastes differ - myself, I've always assumed that Heidi's poking fun at all the pompous pontificating academic types who continue to use the faux-plural form in all seriousness. Even if it is a stylistic tic. (I assume, markus, that you're actually referring to the metaphor derived from "a local and habitual twitching especially in the face", not "a blood-sucking creature related to spiders", a "minumum change in price, up or down", or any of the other multiple meanings of ticK?). I guess tastes differ – myself, I’ve always assumed that Heidi’s poking fun at all the pompous pontificating academic types who continue to use the faux-plural form in all seriousness. Even if it is a stylistic tic. (I assume, markus, that you’re actually referring to the metaphor derived from “a local and habitual twitching especially in the face”, not “a blood-sucking creature related to spiders”, a “minumum change in price, up or down”, or any of the other multiple meanings of ticK?).

]]> By: markus http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9941 markus Sun, 19 Nov 2006 17:59:03 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9941 <i>However, almost all the good manga we read is broken up into chapters or even short stories, because of the original serialization. Books from YOTSUBA&! to NEGIMA to RANMA 1/2 are broken up into segments, all with rising and falling action. We haven’t read THE DREAMING or MAIL ORDER NINJA either,..</i> A case where the use of "we" to mean "I" on this blog obscures the actual meaning. On first reading I assumed the "manga we read" was referring to manga that's generally being read by the public or the writer's peer group. (Quite apart from that I consider the stylistic tick ... retarded in itself. Apologies, but that's how I feel about a news site by a person generally aware of what she's doing using a stylistic tick appropriate to twelve year old kids talking among themselves.) However, almost all the good manga we read is broken up into chapters or even short stories, because of the original serialization. Books from YOTSUBA&! to NEGIMA to RANMA 1/2 are broken up into segments, all with rising and falling action. We haven’t read THE DREAMING or MAIL ORDER NINJA either,..
A case where the use of “we” to mean “I” on this blog obscures the actual meaning. On first reading I assumed the “manga we read” was referring to manga that’s generally being read by the public or the writer’s peer group.

(Quite apart from that I consider the stylistic tick … retarded in itself. Apologies, but that’s how I feel about a news site by a person generally aware of what she’s doing using a stylistic tick appropriate to twelve year old kids talking among themselves.)

]]> By: peter bangs http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9940 peter bangs Sat, 18 Nov 2006 17:51:09 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9940 I read McKee on recommendation from a lot of people and his book, Story, seems to relate only to the construction of of Hollywood blockbuster popcorn movies if his every criteria is adhered too. I can only agree that if you want to write you should read everything you can, not just the genre, you want to write in, and, perhaps most importantly, get a life. Writing informed by life experience generally is better then writing informed by reading to much Robert Ludlum. I read McKee on recommendation from a lot of people and his book, Story, seems to relate only to the construction of of Hollywood blockbuster popcorn movies if his every criteria is adhered too. I can only agree that if you want to write you should read everything you can, not just the genre, you want to write in, and, perhaps most importantly, get a life. Writing informed by life experience generally is better then writing informed by reading to much Robert Ludlum.

]]> By: MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Advice for writers and readers http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9939 MangaBlog » Blog Archive » Advice for writers and readers Sat, 18 Nov 2006 13:20:56 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9939 [...] At The Beat, Heidi contributes her take on the problems of three-volume manga: If you’re going to write a graphic novel, spend some time thinking about story structure. Good advice! [...] [...] At The Beat, Heidi contributes her take on the problems of three-volume manga: If you’re going to write a graphic novel, spend some time thinking about story structure. Good advice! [...]

]]> By: Andrew Wickliffe http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9938 Andrew Wickliffe Sat, 18 Nov 2006 06:39:39 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9938 While yes, Chan’s argument--3 books, 3 acts--is absurd, isn't the idea of... I don't know... acts absurd? The 3-act structure is for theater (500 year old theater, right?), not comic books, not films, not novels. It seems like instead of McKee, who'll just reinforce these ancient ideas, people ought to be reading... I don't know. Something else. Robbe-Grillet's "For a New Novel" maybe. Anything but Robert McKee. While yes, Chan’s argument–3 books, 3 acts–is absurd, isn’t the idea of… I don’t know… acts absurd?

The 3-act structure is for theater (500 year old theater, right?), not comic books, not films, not novels.

It seems like instead of McKee, who’ll just reinforce these ancient ideas, people ought to be reading… I don’t know. Something else.

Robbe-Grillet’s “For a New Novel” maybe. Anything but Robert McKee.

]]> By: Bill Cunningham http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9937 Bill Cunningham Fri, 17 Nov 2006 23:04:59 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9937 I use a "three equal act" structure for the D2DVD movies that I have written. It's a great structure in that your 2nd act doesn't lag and the plot plunges headlong toward the conclusion. 3 - 30 page acts. 3 - plots. An "A" plot and two subplots to enhance the "A" plot. I use a “three equal act” structure for the D2DVD movies that I have written. It’s a great structure in that your 2nd act doesn’t lag and the plot plunges headlong toward the conclusion.

3 – 30 page acts.
3 – plots. An “A” plot and two subplots to enhance the “A” plot.

]]> By: John http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9936 John Fri, 17 Nov 2006 20:06:35 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2006/11/17/the-three-act-structure/#comment-9936 Well, Tokyopop's OEL books are all written by amateur writers and artists who would normally not be able to get published until they improved their skills to a professional level. The OELs are basically written by kids for kids, so taking their creators to task for their poor plots and structure isn't really fair. TP's goal is to produce manga, not good stories. TP OELs are not literature, they're fishing expeditions for potential licensing deals disguised as manga. TP floods the market with books to make it harder for would-be competitors to get bookstore shelf space while it fishes for something its marketing team can turn into non-book related merchandise to generate the real revenue. The story quality doesn't matter in that regard. If TP ever wants to make a movie or animated series, they'll hire a pro to write the script anyway. All they need are sales figures (which returnability helps increase*) and a catchy image to sell. You can't blame the starry-eyed TP OEL creators for anything except maybe their naivete. It would be like comparing a writer for a high school newspaper to Peter David. *(BTW, that's probably the reason no one seems to care that most TP books at Barnes & Noble are in bent, unsellable condition due to the way most kids just read them at the store and put them back on the shelf.) Well, Tokyopop’s OEL books are all written by amateur writers and artists who would normally not be able to get published until they improved their skills to a professional level. The OELs are basically written by kids for kids, so taking their creators to task for their poor plots and structure isn’t really fair. TP’s goal is to produce manga, not good stories.

TP OELs are not literature, they’re fishing expeditions for potential licensing deals disguised as manga. TP floods the market with books to make it harder for would-be competitors to get bookstore shelf space while it fishes for something its marketing team can turn into non-book related merchandise to generate the real revenue. The story quality doesn’t matter in that regard. If TP ever wants to make a movie or animated series, they’ll hire a pro to write the script anyway. All they need are sales figures (which returnability helps increase*) and a catchy image to sell.

You can’t blame the starry-eyed TP OEL creators for anything except maybe their naivete. It would be like comparing a writer for a high school newspaper to Peter David.

*(BTW, that’s probably the reason no one seems to care that most TP books at Barnes & Noble are in bent, unsellable condition due to the way most kids just read them at the store and put them back on the shelf.)

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