How to structure your webcomic story
Updated: Sep 15, 2022
There are many types of story structures available for webcomic creators to use. It's helpful to know these story structures so you can organize events in your story and take your reader on an entertaining journey. Without structure, it is easy to get lost. You don't have to follow these story structures strictly, instead, use them to guide your story's progress.
I'll be going over the following stories:
Attack on Titan Season 1
The first 15 chapters of Lookism
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Phantom Blood
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders
One Piece up to the Marineford arc - episode 483
Three act structure
The three-act structure was created by Syd Field in 1978 when he wrote the book Screenplay. The three acts within the three-act structure are:
The setup (Act 1)
The resolution (Act 2)
The confrontation (Act 3)
I will be providing some examples after each act. However, these examples might not follow the whole three-act structure faithfully. I have chosen these stories to illustrate how the three-act structure can be used.
Act one
Act one is the beginning of the story. This is where we, the audience, are introduced to the protagonist (the main character). Act one has three beats to help move the story forward. These are:
The exposition
Inciting Incident
Plot Point One
Let's dive deeper.
Exposition
The exposition is the introduction. We are introduced to the main character and their normal life. By normal life, I mean how they live day to day which is different depending on the character. For example, the daily life of a mafia boss will be different from the daily life of a school teacher.
Inciting Incident
The inciting incident is the catalyst of the story. This is when the wheels start turning and the character’s everyday life is interrupted.
Plot Point One
Plot point one shows us the character’s reaction to the inciting incident. It is also the final beat to Act one.
Act one examples
Attack on Titan
At the start of Attack on Titan, we are introduced to Eren Jaeger, and his normal day-to-day activities, collecting wood and fighting off bullies. The inciting incident is when the Colossal Titan breaks the wall, killing Eren’s mother as a result. In response, Eren joins the survey corps, and act one ends.
Lookism
In chapter one of the webtoon Lookism, we see Daniel Park being bullied. The inciting incident comes when Daniel wakes up in another body. In response, Daniel goes to his new school in his new body, hoping for a better school experience.
Quick tip:
Each character in a webcomic can have their own act-one, however, the audience doesn’t always have to see it. Because not every second in a story is shown. Readers only see what the webcomic creator wants them to see.
Act two
Act two is the middle of the three-act structure and the longest part. This is when we explore the outcome of plot point one (the protagonist’s decision). In this section, the main character faces a series of obstacles. Act two, like Act one, has 3 beats which are:
Rising Action
Midpoint
Plot Point Two
Rising Action
The rising action is when the character faces challenges and obstacles which help them to grow. These obstacles develop your character, preparing them for the major conflict. This is also known as the 'fun and games' part of a story because it allows us to explore the new world (or life) the protagonist has entered.
In an anime or webcomic, each episode or chapter is the rising action. Similarly each chapter is act two.
The protagonist faces harsher obstacles in each chapter, leading up to the final battle.
Midpoint
The midpoint of a webcomic or webtoon is where things take a turn for the worst. At times this is when new information is learned which changes the direction of the story. As mentioned before, each episode or arc can have its own midpoint.
Plot point two
Plot point two gives the characters time to process the events of the midpoint. In this stage, characters form their plans, realign their goals and prepare for the main conflict. If the midpoint made the protagonist unsure of their goals, plot point two returns their determination.
Act two examples
Attack on Titan
After Eren joins the survey corpse, he faces a series of obstacles. Some examples are, completing his enlistment training, clearing his first mission, and proving his devotion to humanity. The midpoint (turning point) is the introduction of the female titan which also leads to Eren losing several allies. Plot point two starts after Eren is rescued from the female titan as the characters are processing their loss.
Lookism
Lookism puts the main character through challenges or “fun and games”. As Daniel attends school in his new body he learns more about himself and makes “friends”. Because I haven't completed the webtoon yet I can't go into the mid point or act three.
Act three
Act three is the end of the story, the stage where conflicts are resolved. In a webcomic or webtoon, act three would be the last few chapters. There are three beats in act three:
Pre climax
Climax
Denouement
Pre Climax
I call this part the, 'oh no!' moment. This is the section of a story where it appears like the protagonist will lose or fail. These are sometimes a race against time, or simply a drawn-out battle where the protagonist is at a disadvantage. The pre-climax is the longest beat in act three.
Climax
The climax is the conclusion to the battle and is usually the shortest beat in act three. This is where we see who has won.
Denouement
The denouement concludes the story. The protagonist has either achieved or not achieved their goal (whichever fits the story). In this beat all conflicts have been solved, the audience’s questions have been answered and the story can come to a satisfying end.
Quick tip:
Our brains take in information subconsciously. If an ending leaves you unsatisfied and you don’t know why it’s because you still have unanswered questions. It can also be because the ending is not believable or it seems forced.
Act three examples
Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan’s pre-climax is the battle between Eren and the female titan. A literal battle such as this has a structure of its own to keep the readers on their toes. Simply put, it’s a seesaw of the question “who is winning?” The climax in Attack on Titan’s first season is when Eren nearly defeats the female titan. However, this is only a section of the whole manga so there is no Denouement.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders
The reason I chose Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Stardust Crusaders is that it’s third act is amazingly set up. Unlike Attack on Titan, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure wraps up each arc like a standalone manga. This is because each new arc gives us a new protagonist.
The final battle of Stardust Crusaders comes after Jojo and his allies defeat opponents to get to Dio. Dio in this manga/anime is the final boss and has the ability to stop time for a few seconds.
The pre-climax makes us truly doubt whether Jojo can win against an opponent that can stop time. Hirohika Araki, the creator of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, has previously killed off beloved characters. He has also killed the main character of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Phantom Blood. Because we know this, the battle with Dio is made even more thrilling and uncertain. We have also seen how he gets his characters out of seemingly hopeless situations.
The Climax is when Jojo gains the ability to stop time as well and then defeats Dio. The Denouement is when the audience realizes Joseph, Jojo’s grandfather is alive and the story winds down. Characters who lived through the battle go their separate ways. And everyone has accomplished their goal – except Dio of course.
Quick tip:
you don’t have to create your webcomic in this order. You can show act one as a flashback, for example.
Story circle
The next story structure you can use in your webcomic is Dan Harmon’s story circle. Dan Harmon is one of the creators of Rick and Morty. The story structure he developed has become one of the most widely used. The story circle has eight parts:
A character is in a zone of comfort,
But they want or need something.
They enter an unfamiliar situation,
Adapt to it,
Get what they wanted,
Pay a heavy price for it,
Then return to their familiar situation,
Having changed.
The story circle is great for crafting character arcs since a character must change to get what they want.
This is how One Piece character arcs normally play out. When Luffy wants something, he goes and gets it. Luffy and his crew start to search and explore the new island. Luffy finds what he wanted, but must fight for it. The battles he engages in help him to grow stronger and return to his ship having changed.
Normally Luffy doesn't pay a heavy price. Some exceptions are the Sabaody Archipelago arc when Luffy lost his crew and the Marineford arc when Ace died.
Straying from the usual path adds an element of surprise. This is necessary to keep the readers from relaxing for too long.
How to turn the story circle into chapters
Generally speaking, it is up to you how to organize your chapters in regards to the story circle. But here is a guideline you can follow.
Chapter one-three
When creating your webcomic, the first three chapters would be 1, 2, and 3 in the story circle. My advice is to have the first 3 points all in one chapter, but you can also spread it out.
So it would be :
Chapter one - A character is in a zone of comfort
Chapter two - But they want something
Chapter three - They enter an unfamiliar situation
Or all three of those stages in one chapter
Chapters following
The other chapters show the readers how the character is adapting to the unfamiliar situation. However, within each chapter/arc is a mini story circle.
For example, in Lookism, Daniel wants friends. Being handsome and strong is a sub-goal of wanting friends. He enters an unfamiliar situation when he decides to move out and change his life. The rest of the webtoon from what I’ve been reading is about Daniel adapting to being handsome and strong.
With Lookism as an example here, I want to show how malleable story structures can be. But I’ll go more into how to use a story structure and which one to pick later.
Final Chapter
The final chapter of your webtoon or webcomic would have stages 5, 6, 7, and 8. That is the protagonist gets what they want, but they have to pay a price. The protagonist then returns to their normal life; however, they are no longer the same.
Most stories don’t have their protagonists return to their normal life. In a typical manga or webcomic, the character’s life has been heavily changed. Sometimes the life they knew no longer exists.
As the writer, you’re in control. You can decide which stages to follow, and experiment with.
Example of the story Circle in manga
An interesting example of the story circle in use is in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (JJBA) but from the antagonist’s perspective.
Context
I will be analyzing Dio Brando who is the antagonist in JJBA Phantom Blood. Before battling Kujo Jotaro (Jojo), Dio antagonized Jonathan Joestar, Jotaro's great-great-grandfather.
Zone of Comfort –Dio is living in the slums of London where he grew up.
Want – Dio wants a better lifestyle
Unfamiliar Situation – When his father dies, Dio starts to live with the wealthy Joestars (Jonathan Joestar and his father George Joestar)
Adapt – Throughout the next few chapters, Dio adapts to the wealthy lifestyle. He adapts so well that Jonathan Joesatar is made like an outcast in his home.
Get what he wanted – Dio is accepted as a son of George Joestar
Pay a heavy price – He pushes too far. In an attempt to kill Jonathan’s father for the inheritance, Dio is exposed. The price he ends up paying is his humanity. He decides to become a vampire.
Return to familiar Situation – Dio returns to London.
Having changed – He is now an evil vampire.
Quick tip:
you don’t have to use every stage in the circle. Whatever works for your story is fine.
Save the Cat
Save the cat is a beat sheet that is extremely popular amongst writers. It mirrors the three-act structure, except with more detail.
Although the save the cat story structure is catered toward screenplay writers, it can help you plan your webcomic.
This structure is great for getting inspiration and tracking each page of your webcomic or webtoon. Save the cat is useful if you experience writer’s block often or are completely new to storytelling in general.
It is important that stories have ups and downs. Sometimes, we unintentionally stay on one pitch for too long. This can be a high pitch or a low pitch. What readers want is dynamic.
The beat sheet goes like this:
Opening Image [1]: An opening snapshot.
Theme Stated [5]: We are introduced to the central theme or lesson of the story
Set Up [1-10]: The protagonist and the 'ordinary world' are introduced.
Catalyst [12]: Something happens that sets the story in motion.
The debate [12-25]: The protagonist is hesitant to take action.
Break Into Two [25]: The protagonist takes up the challenge.
B Story [30]: The subplot kicks in, introducing a character who helps the protagonist in their transformation.
Fun and Games [30-55]: The protagonist is in the hardship of their challenge or journey.
Midpoint [55]: The stakes are raised.
Bad Guys Close In [55-75]: Things start going downhill for the protagonist.
All is Lost [75]: Things go from bad to worse. The protagonist hits rock bottom.
Dark Night of the Soul [75-85]: Faced with defeat, the protagonist must reckon with their loss and how they got there.
Break Into Three [85]: The protagonist realizes a truth that’s been evading them all this time.
Finale [85-110]: Putting their new awareness into action, the protagonist conquers the bad guys.
Final Image [110]: A snapshot that mirrors or contrasts the opening image.
Like the other story structures, save the cat can be used to craft arcs as well as your whole webcomic.
The main problem with using this story structure is that stories start to be repetitive and predictable. It’s a good idea to play with the chronological order of each beat. This will allow you to find new interesting ways to use the save the cat story beat.
Which Story Structure Should You use
All story structures have three things in common. They show the reader a character’s normal life. They indicate a shift of some sort, whether it is internal (a want) or external (an inciting incident that requires a decision/reaction). They put the character on a journey which rises in suspense as the story progresses. Finally, all story structures show an ending to the conflict. The main difference is how these things happen and the type of ending shown.
You can mix story structures if you want to experiment.
For example, you can use a structure for your overall webcomic and another for a character’s arc. Another example is using a specific structure for different characters.
It is better to experiment with shorter stories rather than a longer commitment. In addition, you will gain a better understanding of the different structures and which one you like most.
Here is a list of three things to consider in your decision:
What type of story do you want to tell and which structure fits that most?
Which story structure do you find easier to understand and use?
Is there a story that has inspired your webcomic? If so which story structure fits that story?
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