The Foolscap Method Step 3 - Acts 1, 2, 3
Channel: Steven Pressfield
Date: 2023-06-07

First a quick recap – 
- Start with the Climax- the end – number 10.
- Then back to number 1 – what’s the Genre – thriller, fantasy, detective story, etc. etc.
- Now step 2  – I’m calling it Act One, Act Two, Act Three or the beginning, the middle and the end.

A lot of people think this step has to be in depth storytelling – but it’s not.  It’s should be thoughtful, but simple and direct.

Act 1 – Captain Ahab takes off in the Pequod to find Moby Dick
Act 2 – Captain Ahab and crew chase Moby Dick around the world.
Act 3 – Captain Ahab battles Moby Dick to the death

That’s it – that’s all you have to put on the page.  Don’t let this step become Resistance.  

The Foolscap Method is a quick way for you to evaluate - Is this worth doing?  Is there something here worth pursuing?  It’s not the place to get hung up on all of the intricate details.

So – what’s the beginning, the middle and end of your story (by the way – you’ve already written the end so Act 3 is pretty much already there. )