The Second Act is the middle section of a novel and usually the biggest chunk of a book. It spans from when a character is first thrust into a new situation until the immediate build toward the climax. In terms of the hero’s journey plot line discussed in previous posts, the Second Act ranges from … More Lessons from a First Novel: Supercharging the 2nd Act
Today is Harry Potter’s 37th birthday and in homage to the birthday boy-who-lived and the continuing summer festivities marking the 20th anniversary of Philosopher’s Stone, I thought I’d look at one particular thing JKR does brilliantly in her plots. Now, at 37, HP might be in a mid-life crisis buying a Nimbus 3000 or something … More The Impossible and Inevitable Potter
Happy New Year to all! We have reached the 10th and final stage of a hero’s journey plot line and a fitting stage it is for January 1st because this is the Resolution. Over the course of the hero’s journey, the character has been thrust out of their Ordinary World with a Call to Adventure … More The Hero’s Journey – Resolution
Huzzah! We have reached the Climax, the grand hurrah, the big shebang, a moment so exciting that only funny-sounding words can express it! All the same, I’ll do my best in this post to articulate what goes on in the climax of a novel or film. To see how we got to this culminating moment, … More The Hero’s Journey – Climax!
The beginning of THE END! We enter the third and final phase of a hero’s journey plot line. Act 3 Propelling Event Climax (aka Death & Resurrection) Resolution So far, we have seen a protagonist, who was living life relatively normally in ACT 1, thrust into a new situation which they must navigate throughout … More The Hero’s Journey – Propelling Event
We really shouldn’t go in there—but we have to! We’re now well into the Middle Phase (Act 2) of a story. The characters have started to find their footing, acclimatizing to the new situation they’ve been put in. They have met new friends and foes and faced some initial challenges. Having overcome these early tests, … More The Hero’s Journey – The Approach
Perilous tasks! Noble Companions! Dastardly Villains! We’re now in the Middle Phase (aka Act 2) of a Hero’s Journey plot line. We have seen how stories thrust characters out of their everyday life and into a new situation—and now we see how they handle it. The stage we’re talking about today, “Tests, Allies & Enemies,” … More The Hero’s Journey – Tests, Allies & Enemies
The end of the beginning is nigh! We move on to the third stage of a Hero’s Journey plot line, “Crossing the First Threshold.” This stage gives us some of the most iconic images in the history of children’s literature. It marks the moment when the plot of a story transitions from the Beginning (Act … More The Hero’s Journey – Crossing the Threshold
Listen up, you! Yes—you! On we go to the 2nd stage of a Hero’s Journey plot line: the “Call to Adventure.” This is where the fun begins. It’s the event that really kick-starts the story! To review, here’s the key stages of the Beginning Phase (ACT 1) of a Hero’s Journey story: The Ordinary World … More The Hero’s Journey – Call to Adventure
Let’s begin! Authors and screenwriters often refer to the Beginning, Middle, and End of stories as Acts 1, 2 & 3. Over the next few days, using the ideas of the Hero’s Journey, we will look in more detail at Beginnings or ‘First Acts.’ The list at the end of the last post introduced the … More The Hero’s Journey–Ordinary Worlds
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