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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/5944
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

After the great amount of encouragement that you all gave me [here](https://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/3573/how-do-i-balance-work-with-my-love-of-writing), you'd be happy to know that I finally started writing my novel and I'm writing whenever I get time. Special thanks goes to Lauren for that quote of hers. I loved it!

Okay. So I'm following the three act structure for my thriller. And as I read somewhere, according to this structure, the first act should end when the novel reaches around 25% of its length; Here, as most of us know, the protagonist is supposed to start his journey, the story goal is supposed to become clearly visible & concrete along with the story question.

Now the problem that I am facing is this: Although my first act does everything what it is supposed to do, it ends at around 38%. Which, I feel, is devastating. Although I asked a couple of my friends who are avid readers, to proofread my work up til here and they said that the humour (I have used humour in the whole act just to cover up my placing of 'links-in-a-thriller') is very finely written and it kept them going without letting them feel any lags.

So I tried clubbing a few scenes together; keeping what is required. But as soon as I did that, the 'links' that i had placed became visible.

Now i do not know what to do! I mean, If i condense the scenes, the links show up. If i don't then the Act becomes wider. And the conversations, though lengthy, are equally important because it gives the backstory to the readers.

Any suggestions?

Original score: 4