Stories, movies, games, TV shows, plays and books all have different dramatic elements and structures they should adhere to, depending on the format, time limit and audience expectations of the mediums.

Greek plays:

1. Inciting Action  – event at the start of the story which forces the lead character into action
2. Complication  – when your character tries to deal with a conflict and faces unforeseen obstacles
3. Crisis  – dramatic conflict building story momentum – places enormous odds against the character
4. Climax – peak in the story; they confront the most fateful consequence of the rising action
5. Reversal – tuning point twists the story in a new direction at the end of the act
6. Denouement – resolution to the story

Motion pictures:

1. Act One: inciting action, building conflict, unravels first plot point – 1-15 pages
2. Act Two: develops story, heighten conflict, second plot point that twists the story in a new direction – 45-60 pages
3. Act Three: paced quicker; conflict builds to climax; story is resolved in the denouement – 25-30 pages

Half-hour long sitcoms have a teaser of 30-60 seconds and 2 acts of about 10-12 minutes. Dramatic one-hour long shows are broken down into four acts and total about 60 pages.

The plot interest curve or audience interest curve is a useful tool in visualising the story in development, considering its pacing and judging the intensity of action sequences that can sustain and build audience interest!