Lean said, “Every work can be divided into between eight and twelve major sequences.” This is an alternative to the idea of Three-Act Structure. Three-Act Structure works great in movies and plays, i.e., works that are experienced by the audience in one ninety- to 120-minute gulp. But novels aren’t like that. Long-form TV isn’t like that. These forms are taken in by the reader or viewer at intervals, over periods of days, weeks, months. The rhythm of consumption is slower, with less need for pace or momentum.
