Typically, the first act introduces readers to the central conflict that your story will

resolve. This could be anything from an inexplicable disappearance (such as the

disappearance of a cat in Haruki Murakamis The Wind-up Bird Chronicle) to a
characters inner conflict about themselves.
The middle act of your novel is where you develop this central conflict and help the
reader understand its origins and the direction it might lead your character(s). The
final act brings the conflict to a head and (usually) resolves it.