Creative Exercise:

It’s not enough to tell readers your character is becoming more empowered. Think of three actions your character can take that will contrast his misconception-based reactions in the first half of the book.

 

Something to Think About:

1. What series of actions will the main character take in the Second Half of the Second Act?

 

2. How does overcoming his ignorance about the conflict, the antagonist, and himself allow him to take a more active role in controlling the conflict?

 

3. How does your Second Pinch Point reaffirm the antagonist’s presence and power within the story?

 

4. What revelations will your character discover in the Second Half of the Second Act?

 

5. Which of your protagonist’s problems will be resolved in this section?

 

6. Which major problems—both inner and outer—will remain to be solved during the Third Act?

 

7. How might the problems that are solved in the Second Half of the Second Act serve to exacerbate or bring clearer focus to the true underlying conflicts?

 

Resources:

• “3 Ways to Add Repetition That Pleases Readers,” Elizabeth Spann Craig

 

• “Two Surefire Symptoms of a Static Character,” K.M. Weiland

 

• “It’s What Your Characters Do That Defines Them,” K.M. Weiland

 

• “How the Antagonist Affects Character Arc,” K.M. Weiland

 

• “Second Act Problems,” Steven Pressfield