Story Outline (Three-Act)

Act as a story consultant.

Genre: [GENRE]
Protagonist concept: [PROTAGONIST]
Antagonist or opposing force: [ANTAGONIST]
World / setting: [SETTING]
Theme or thematic question: [THEME]
Target length: [SHORT_STORY / NOVELLA / NOVEL]

Build the outline:
1. Logline (one sentence)
2. Theme stated as a question, not an answer
3. Act 1: setup, inciting incident, lock-in. Include scene-level beats.
4. Act 2A: rising action, first reversal, false confidence
5. Midpoint: the moment everything pivots
6. Act 2B: increasing stakes, low point, dark night of the soul
7. Act 3: climax that pays off the theme, denouement
8. Character arc: where the protagonist starts → ends → why the change is earned
9. The subplot that reinforces the theme
10. 3 scenes that, if cut, would break the story