The Second Half of the Second Act is where you cue the hero music in character arcs. Thanks to that major personal revelation at the Midpoint, the protagonist now gets it. The puzzle pieces are falling into place. The light bulbs have flashed on. He sees what he has to do to win the conflict. […]
April 20, 2014 by 43 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 10: The Midpoint
In a positive change character arc, your protagonist will have spent the First Half of the Second Act blundering around in foreign territory, making mistakes based on false assumptions, and getting his hand slapped for his every wrong move. But he’s also going to have been slowly—maybe even subconsciously—learning his lesson and figuring things out. […]
April 13, 2014 by 28 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 9: The First Half of the Second Act
In the structure of character arcs, the First Half of the Second Act is where your character ventures (or is thrust) into uncharted territory—and gets lost. He may not quite see it that way himself, but this is where he begins to discover that the old rules (the Lie He Believes) no longer apply. This […]
September 5, 2013 by 4 Comments Structuring Your NovelLast Chance to Enter the Grand Prize Drawing!
Thank you all for a great launch week for Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys to Writing an Outstanding Story. The book hit #1 in the Writing Skills category in Amazon’s Kindle Store on Sunday and has remained there all week. Just a reminder: today is the last day to enter the drawing for the three-tiered […]
April 15, 2012 by 12 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 8: The Second Half of the Second Act
Now that we’ve passed the midpoint, things are starting to heat up in our story. The second half of the second act is where your plot really starts popping. Your main character caps the dramatic event at the midpoint with his decision to stop reacting and start acting. Almost always, this is born of a personal revelation, even […]
April 8, 2012 by 44 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 7: The Midpoint
Halfway through our stories, something marvelous happens. There we are, minding our own business, toiling along in the seemingly endless desert of the second act, when—whap! bang! shazam!—everything changes all over again. Legendary director Sam Peckinpah talked about how he always looked for a “centerpiece” on which to “hang” his story. That centerpiece is your second major plot point, the […]
April 1, 2012 by 26 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 6: The First Half of the Second Act
Every segment of a story offers its own challenges, but perhaps none leaves writers more bewildered than the second act. Beginnings and endings are tough to get right, but at least we have a checklist of things to accomplish. The middle of the story, on the other hand, is a yawning blank. We feel like we’re entirely on our […]
March 22, 2010 by 47 Comments Structuring Your Novel21 Must-Haves for Your Story Structure (in 90 Seconds)
A writer’s life is busy. Sometimes we need shortcuts. And while there really aren’t any shortcuts, sometimes there are, at least, cheat sheets. Today, I’m going to give you a Mouse-ter Class in story structure—in all of 90 seconds. Ready? Strap in and take a look at the video below to see the foundational art of […]
