After the Third Plot Point

 

CHARACTER AND CHANGE. That’s what story is all about. We take a person and we force him onto a journey that will change him forever, usually for the better. In the First Act, he starts out in a less-than-fulfilled, probably personally stunted place. He has certain beliefs that are holding him back from what he needs, from the thing that will cause him to change into this better, more enlightened, more empowered person.

Personal transformations are always at the heart of strong character arcs. Without one, your character will remain static, the plot will fall flat, and readers will be left to wonder, Why did any of that matter?

 

Exercise: To solidify your character’s arc, ask yourself the following questions.

 

Question #1: How is your protagonist different now from how he was in the beginning of the story?

 

Examples:

• Instead of trying to eliminate or manipulate Buzz, Woody welcomes him as a partner and friend. (Toy Story directed by John Lasseter)

 

• Instead of putting wealth ahead of everything else, Scrooge buys food and gifts for others. (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

 

• Instead of bowing to the will of others in order to be loved, Jane claims her independence. (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë)

 

Question #2: What scene can you include in the Third Act to illustrate how your protagonist’s personality, problems, fears, and/or weaknesses have evolved?

 

Question #3: What new and strengthened action does the protagonist take against the antagonistic force after the Third Plot Point?

 

Question #4: How does he assemble all the skills, tools, and allies he gained throughout the story, in preparation for the Climax?

 

Question #5: Which of these playing pieces will need to be present in the final showdown?

 

Question #5.1: How will you get them there?

 

Subplot Exercise: Determine which (if any) of your subplots you can tie off before the Climax—and how.

 

Reference: Structuring Your Novel, chapter 9, pages 117-119.