This book is recommended for beginning writers struggling to get a grip on plot. "Literary" writers may also benefit by infusing their character-driven stories with structure as instructed by Bell. For writers who have taken a few writing classes or are voracious readers, the "three-act structure" here is overly familiar and won't come across as surprisingly insightful.This book can be summed up as: 1) Use the three-act structure. It may be formulaic, but it works. 2) Experiment with different techniques--there are plenty of exercises in this book to jumpstart your fiction. 3) Write! It's the only way you'll really learn.