Creative Exercise:

Think about some of your favorite stories. Can you spot the Third Plot Point? Write a list of how the Third Plot Point in these stories brings the characters to a revelation about themselves and the conflict.

 

Something to Think About:

1. Does your Third Act begin around the 75% mark?

 

2. How is your Third Plot Point an upheaval of the gains your protagonist thought he had made up to now?

 

3. From its opening plot point onward, does your Third Act pick up speed and refuse to slow down?

 

4. Is your Third Act thoughtful enough in its first moments to allow all the extra pieces to be either tied off and set out of the way or assembled for the showdown?

 

Resources:

• “5 Elements of Story Structure,” J.E. Fishman

 

• “The All-Important Link Between Theme and Character Progression,” K.M. Weiland

 

• “What’s the Most Important Moment in Your Character’s Arc?,” K.M. Weiland

 

• “How to Successfully Kill a Character: The Checklist,” K.M. Weiland

 

• “Creating Characters That Make Readers Cry,” Jody Hedlund