Beat sheet calculator
See the word or page where each story beat should land.
- Act one: setup
- 1 to 20,000
- Act two: confrontation
- 20,001 to 60,000
- Act three: resolution
- 60,001 to 80,000
| Beat | At | Word | Chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 OpeningShow the main character in their normal life, and what is missing from it. | 0% | 1 | 1 |
| 2 Inciting incidentSomething happens that disturbs that life and starts the story. | 12% | 9,601 | 4 |
| 3 First turning pointThe character commits to a goal and there is no going back. Act one ends. | 25% | 20,001 | 7 |
| 4 Rising complicationsObstacles grow. The character tries, learns and meets resistance. | 37% | 29,601 | 10 |
| 5 MidpointA reveal or reversal changes what the story is about or raises the stakes. | 50% | 40,001 | 13 |
| 6 CrisisThe lowest point. The plan fails and the goal looks lost. Act two ends. | 75% | 60,001 | 19 |
| 7 ClimaxThe final confrontation, where the character acts on what they have learned. | 88% | 70,401 | 23 |
| 8 ResolutionShow the new normal and tie off loose threads. | 97% | 77,601 | 25 |
Positions are our planning estimates, a common convention, not rules. Move beats to suit your story.
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Short answer
Multiply your total word count by each beat's position in the story. In an 80,000 word three-act novel, the inciting incident lands near word 9,601 (12%), act one ends near 20,001, the midpoint near 40,001 and the climax near 70,401. Positions are guides, not rules.
How to use it
- Choose Words or Pages and enter your book's total length.
- Pick a story structure.
- Add your chapter count if you want to see which chapter each beat falls in.
- Read where each beat lands in the table and on the story curve.
- Copy the beat sheet, download it as a CSV, or copy the share link.
How it works
Each beat has a position between the start (0%) and the end (100%) of the book. The calculator multiplies it by your length.
Beat lands at = total length x beat position + 1
Chapter = total chapters x beat position, rounded up
Worked example: 80,000 words, three-act structure. The midpoint sits at 50%, so 80,000 x 0.5 = 40,000, and the beat lands at word 40,001. With 25 chapters, 25 x 0.5 = 12.5, which puts it in chapter 13.
The story curve
The curve shows the usual rise and fall of tension through each structure. Its height is illustrative, not measured.
Reference
Beat positions for each structure, as percentages of the book.
| Opening | 0% |
|---|---|
| Inciting incident | 12% |
| First turning point | 25% |
| Rising complications | 37% |
| Midpoint | 50% |
| Crisis | 75% |
| Climax | 88% |
| Resolution | 97% |
| Home world | 0% |
|---|---|
| The call | 8% |
| Hesitation | 12% |
| Guidance | 17% |
| Crossing into the unknown | 25% |
| Trials, allies and enemies | 35% |
| Closing in | 45% |
| The central ordeal | 50% |
| The reward | 60% |
| The way back | 75% |
| The final test | 88% |
| Homecoming | 97% |
| Introduction | 0% |
|---|---|
| Exciting force | 12% |
| Rise | 30% |
| Climax | 50% |
| Tragic force | 55% |
| Return or fall | 70% |
| Force of the last suspense | 85% |
| Catastrophe | 93% |
| Hook | 0% |
|---|---|
| First plot turn | 20% |
| First pinch | 35% |
| Midpoint | 50% |
| Second pinch | 65% |
| Second plot turn | 80% |
| Resolution | 97% |
Questions authors ask
What is a beat sheet?
A list of the key moments in a story, in order, with roughly where each one falls. Writers use it to plan a draft or to find pacing problems in one. This calculator turns the positions into word or page numbers for your book.
Which story structure should I use?
Whichever helps you think. The three-act structure is the simplest. The hero's journey suits quests and coming-of-age stories. Freytag's pyramid puts the peak in the middle, like classic tragedy. The seven-point structure works well if you plan from the ending backward.
Where do the percentages come from?
They are our own planning estimates, based on the common convention of acts at about a quarter, a half and a quarter. Freytag named the parts in 1863 but gave no percentages. No source sets exact positions, so treat them as a starting point and move beats to suit your story.
Is this the Save the Cat beat sheet?
No. Save the Cat is a trademarked method with its own named beats, and we do not reproduce it. This tool uses generic, public structures described in our own words. Many named methods, including that one and Dan Wells' seven-point structure, build on the same three-act idea.
Can I plan by pages instead of words?
Yes. Switch to Pages and enter your page count. Beats then land on page numbers. If you know your word count but want printed pages, the word count to pages calculator converts one to the other.
How do chapters fit in?
Enter your chapter count and each beat shows the chapter it falls in, assuming chapters of similar length. With 25 chapters, the midpoint falls in chapter 13.
Before and after this step
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Related tools
Sources
Last verified against the 1900 English translation of Freytag's Technique of the Drama for the names of his parts. Beat positions are our own planning estimates. Every story bends its structure, so use the positions as a guide.