What is it with me and third acts?
I know where the story starts. I know how it ends. I’ve figured out the Point of No Return (or as I like to think about it – the ultimate happiness moment). And the All Is Lost is there as well.
How can it them be so problematic to get something happening in the third act?
In my resting project Sunlight I also had problems with the third act. The main character had already changed. He had already proved his worthy. Not much left to tell then, is it?
Script gurus like Syd Field and the late Blake Snyder tell about the importance to have a close to impassable obstacle in the way of the character to achieve his/hers goal.
I like to think about the finale as the time the main character passes all the tests and proves his/her worthy.
Both approaches point in the same direction: If I had had a clear goal for the main character, I would not have a problem with the third act.
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5 comments:
I once rewrote a ending 63 times.
I now write the ending first and work backwards.
Interesting approach. I'll keep that one in mind.
Sixty-three times for an ending! My gracious!
All of your posts are getting more interesting to me, Desiree, because my current post is my first attempt at a "story". Now, granted, it's small - it is only the size of a blogpost, after all.
But it has a narrator, a character, a sort-of-plot and some (GASP!!!!) dialogue!
It was such fun, and the experience of writing just that one little piece made so much of what you talk about more understandable. I'm going to be spending much more time here, I think. Lots to learn from you!
A very positive approach. I will keep this in my mind and try to follow this.
@Shoreacres: Thank you for your kind words. It seems like I need to visit your blog today :-) You've made me real curious.
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