HOMER'S THREE-ACT STRUCTURE:

“The best plot is the plot that allows for the most good scenes.”
Dashiell Hammet, crime author

Cinderella is a fable about a simple char-girl whose life is changed by a miracle-working mentor, her Fairy Godmother. The idea was adapted for the stage play Pygmalion (circa 1910) by George Bernard Shaw, (Liza the flower girl is Cinderella and Professor Higgins is the Fairy Godmother, who transforms the girl by teaching her good English pronunciation).

Other writers adapted this into screenplays for the musical My Fair Lady (1964), Pretty Woman (1990) and Maid In Manhattan (2002).

Ironically, a similar Cinderella scenario can be found in Mary Shelley’s book of horror Frankenstein (1816); e.g. Godmother is to Doctor Frankenstein as Cinderella is to the Monster.

Here's an example of the three-act theory, in relation to the structure of Cinderella.

EVENT STRUCTURE - Breakdown of Cinderella for a basic timeline:

ACT I: Prologue/Intro the mood and setting. Ideally, foreshadow the climax/epilogue.

Intro the Protagonist - THE GOOD GUY/Introduce Cinderella and Normality - She is beautiful, works like a slave for her wicked Stepmother and ugly Stepsisters.

The First Disturbance (The Inciting Incident): An invitation (McGuffin A) to attend the Prince’s Ball arrives, but Cinderella can’t go because she has no clothes (THE SET-UP).

The Big Plan/Hero's Goal: Cinderella wants to go to the Palace and meet the handsome Prince.

Intro the Antagonist - THE BAD GUY/In this case it's the status quo, 'Class Distinction' - as personified by Cinderella's ugly Stepsisters and Stepmother.

END OF SET-UP

Surprise: The Fairy Godmother provides clothes and transport, supplying a false identity for Cinderella so that she can enter the Ball.

ACT I Turning Point: Cinderella goes to the Ball.

Obstacle: Her disguise is only available until midnight - (the TIME BOMB).

ACT II: Cinderella goes to the Ball, entrances the Prince and completely forgets about the time.

Complications, sub-stories, more surprises and obstacles that lead to the Climax, (In some versions there is a Ball every night for a week, and she goes back several times, getting away every time except for the last).

ACT II Turning Point: Midnight comes - Cinderella’s clothes turn to rags, she runs away in despair, accidentally leaving the glass slipper (McGuffin B).

ACT III: Cinderella returns to her old life, never to see the Prince again - the Prince announces that he will marry whoever’s foot fits the slipper (In some versions, events keep preventing him from entering the Stepmother’s house). The Prince eventually arrives but Cinderella is not at first allowed to try on the slipper - She fights back, demanding to try on the slipper.

Climax: The shoe fits - the Prince says he will marry Cinderella.

Epilogue/Resolution: They live happily ever after – The End.


Technically, it’s important to get the basics right, so if you’re wondering what form or tense to write in, it’s essential to assume the PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE.

This grammatical term is very important to writing for interactivity, and is defined as:

"...Expressing an activity that is in progress (is occurring, is happening) right now. The event is taking place at the time the speaker is saying the sentence. The event began in the past, is in progress now, and will probably continue into the future."
James Ray Musgrave

The present progressive tense usually takes the form of: "am, is, are..." and "-ing..." e.g.

"I’m racing to get there…"

"She’s crying out of selfishness… "

"They’re hurtling through space."

"The doors of reality are open for business."
Homer Simpson