"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." - Dorothy ParkerIn Act 1 we've learned much about your story and its people. Now it's time to reign havoc on their world. That's the main thrust of act two -- confrontation!
So far your characters have walked on stage and introduced themselves. We’ve gotten the lay of the land and we’ve been thrust into the middle of a “situation.” As Act 1 comes to a close we’ve had a chance to see your characters in their “ordinary” everyday world. We’ve become aware of their everday habits and also the grander, burning desire to acquire or accomplish something - then something happens to intiate Act 2 that takes your protagonist outside his or her comfort zone.
It’s the call to adventure that Joseph Campbell identifies and describes so well in his master work: The Hero With A Thousand Faces
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It’s the call to adventure that Joseph Campbell identifies and describes so well in his master work: The Hero With A Thousand Faces
. Whether it's a car accident, an armed bank robbery, a sudden financial windfall - something dramatic forces your character to commit to the adventure ahead. There can be no other choice. The burning desire you’ve set up in Act 1 is at stake. The hero’s refusal of the call to action can be a short as a simple "no, I can't" or it can be a long sequence with your character unable to avoid what's ahead despite his or her best efforts.
Ultimately, whether voluntarily or not, the burning desire drives the hero into Act 2. This story beat has been called “the inciting incident,” “plot point one,” and a number of other things by many different teachers. The mechanics of this beat are the same. Something changes your hero’s everyday life course. Your story is essentially about how the person you introduced in Act 1 gets tangled up in the chaos of Act 2.
Ultimately, whether voluntarily or not, the burning desire drives the hero into Act 2. This story beat has been called “the inciting incident,” “plot point one,” and a number of other things by many different teachers. The mechanics of this beat are the same. Something changes your hero’s everyday life course. Your story is essentially about how the person you introduced in Act 1 gets tangled up in the chaos of Act 2.
Without question, Act 2 is always the hardest or most enriching part of the process for me as a writer. It's also the longest. This is where you throw every imaginable obstacle at your character. Let chaos reign supreme. Watch a few of your favorite films and you'll notice Act 2 is where a film's highlights are pulled for the trailer.
The second act is all about “how” things work. “How” the pieces all fit together. And, the cleverness and originality of Act 2 defines much of the audience's opinion of the piece as a whole. It’s the measure by which we judge a satisfactory ending. Was the riddle solved? How did Miss Marple figure it out? Was the murderer caught? How did Sherlock Holmes snag him? Was the heist successful? What did the crew need to do to get past security? Was the long lost couple reunited? What did our hero have to do to get the girl back? Don't make it too easy on the hero or we'll feel cheated. Act 2 is the battleground on which your protagonist wages war with the world and himself/herself and either proves to be worthy of the goal or falls short.
The second act is all about “how” things work. “How” the pieces all fit together. And, the cleverness and originality of Act 2 defines much of the audience's opinion of the piece as a whole. It’s the measure by which we judge a satisfactory ending. Was the riddle solved? How did Miss Marple figure it out? Was the murderer caught? How did Sherlock Holmes snag him? Was the heist successful? What did the crew need to do to get past security? Was the long lost couple reunited? What did our hero have to do to get the girl back? Don't make it too easy on the hero or we'll feel cheated. Act 2 is the battleground on which your protagonist wages war with the world and himself/herself and either proves to be worthy of the goal or falls short.
Another great book with sections on character and structure is Robert J. Ray's "The Weekend Writer Writes A Mystery." It's loaded with creative exercises and great information on character and structure. A fast read that I highly recommend.
This week' suggested website: NaNoWriMo - (http://www.nanowrimo.org) National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo, challenges writers to pen 50,000 word novels between November 1 and November 31 every year. The site provides articles, forums and all kinds of motivators to help them get the work done.This week's writing prompt: Give yourself five uninterrupted minutes of quiet time. Create a list of at least six things that are going wrong in your character's quest to achieve his or her dramatic need. The larger and more difficult the obstacles the more we'll cheer as your hero succeeds! Have a great writing week.
