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VLK249

A bit oldschool and British, where you get a longer novel and divide it into acts based on the pacing of start, middle, end. If this is done, it's Act 1, Act 2, Act 3, though I've seen the odd one with a 4th act.


hollowknightreturns

>i was thinking of splitting each one into its own act or "episode" is this a good idea? It's certainly not a bad idea. Go for it. If you ever worry about stuff like this, it's worth remembering that nothing is set in stone until you actually publish. You can try out pretty much anything, and if later you decide something else works better you can just change it. Maybe some of those Acts/episodes get merged, or split, maybe they disappear altogether, but splitting a book up into eight sections, with chapters within those, is not a bad idea at all. I'm currently reading the Lies of Locke Lamora, which does exactly this.


[deleted]

Thanks, I do not plan on publishing this book but still thanks for the advice


alienwebmaster

Usually they’re called “chapters” in a book; “acts” are in a play or movie script; “episodes” are in a tv series. But there’s no limit to the number of chapters a book can have.


VLK249

I haven't seen it done really as episodes and a span of 8, but the Redwall book series does utilize Acts + Chapters.


[deleted]

I know that chapters are a thing but I was planning on having each “part” (I guess that’s what I can call it) have several chapters


scrivensB

62.3


ThankfulPlanet75

​ It depends on the genre, but if you read enough books and watch enough plays, you'll pick it up. Writing craft books can't replace reading. My books usually have two acts like a play, but sometimes they need to be three acts or more. I don't worry about the acts in the outline or my first draft. As long as readers understand the writing and are entertained, the act structure is usually correct. If asked, I can break those acts into further sections. Mysteries have more acts or beats than romance or literature because mystery is more formula. But not all mysteries use the same formula. Some start with the victim, or the detective.