Writing the first act of a novel can be difficult. You have to juggle setting up the story, introducing the main characters and conflict, and establishing the setting while trying not to bore readers with information. And it’s not enough just to not bore them, you must attempt to engage them so they keep reading.

If that’s something you’ve worried about, then this article is for you. We’re going to dive into how to write Act 1 of your novel, examining essential story elements you need in the first act.

4 Essential Elements You Need in Act 1

You need to set up a few things in Act 1 to set readers’ expectations. Brandon Sanderson calls these promises (Act 2 will make progress on these promises and 3 will see them paid off). Let’s go over the 4 essential elements of Act 1.

Main Character

Firstly, you need to establish who your main character is—their personality, their goals/wants, and their internal conflict. Establishing this character will help readers decide whether they care about this person enough to follow their story for hundreds of pages. That doesn’t mean the MC has to be a likable person, but readers should at least be curious about them.

Other Main Characters

Going along with the main character, you also need to show readers who the other important characters are. Who are the people in the MC’s life and what are the MC’s relationships with them like? This is part of establishing what the MC’s life is like.

You can also introduce the antagonist (if your antagonist is a person), though you don’t have to. Depending on the kind of story you’re writing, you might also mention the B Story character, but they are often more fully introduced at the beginning of Act 2.

Setting

It’s also important to establish when and where your book takes place and, if your book requires it, the basic worldbuilding. Your story could be pretty confusing without a clear setting because the setting gives readers context for understanding the plot.

Think about it. If we didn’t know that Elizabeth Bennet and her family lived in England in the early 19th century, we might not understand why Mrs. Bennet wants the Bennet girls to marry to secure their futures (Pride and Prejudice).

Conflict

Have you ever started reading a book and thought, “Nothing’s happening,” or “This isn’t going anywhere”? That book probably lacked conflict in Act 1.

Conflict is one of the best ways to excite readers and pull them in. It creates tension and pushes the story forward.

In Act 1, the story’s conflict usually starts with a hook in the first chapter and builds toward one event, the inciting incident or catalyst—something that happens to the MC that starts them on their journey. Inciting incidents can be big or small, depending on the story you’re telling.

For example, the MC might lose their job, or, conversely, they might get a promotion. Their partner might break up with them. They could win the lottery, someone close to them could die, or they might meet someone new.

The possibilities are endless.

This was my quick guide on how to write Act 1 of your novel and the four things you need in Act 1. I’ll be posting a guide about the structure of Act 1 and guides for writing Acts 2 and 3 in the coming weeks, so subscribe to make sure you don’t miss those. For tips on writing the first chapter, check out this article.