12
WHAT'S THE “AHA” MOMENT?
Position Your Protagonist at a Crossroads at the End of Act Two
The end of the second act is often referred to as the “all is lost” moment. It might seem like the Worst Thing That Could Happen—but things are actually going to get even worse (see Chapter 14 on Climaxes).
After spending the bulk of the second act trying to accomplish a major goal, your protagonist has arrived at a crucial make it or break it moment. It's a low point because they're losing hope that their Plan A goal can actually be accomplished. Your protagonist's early rumblings of existential introspection at the midpoint—the “Who Am I?” introspection—is now being forced to the forefront and will require active soul searching. In act three, often ...
Get The Screenwriter’s Roadmap now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
