An unexpected tool Scrivenier Templates

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Arc in the First Half of the Second Act (Act 2A-2B)

During the First Half of the Second Act, your character will be more determined than ever to reach his plot goal. He’s trying very hard to take control of his life—and the conflict—and, on some levels, it totally seems to be working. On other levels, however, he’s messing up worse than ever. Use the First Half of the Second Act to explore the depths of your character’s personality, beliefs, and desires. The result is a well of endless possibilities for fun, conflict-powered scenes!

1. How is your character reacting to the First Plot Point?

2. What “tools” can you provide to help your character build the first rung in the ladder that will scale his Lie?

3. What minor character can offer advice or exemplary behavior to help mentor your protagonist?

4. How can you show the protagonist the first step in overcoming his Lie, instead of just telling him about it?

5. How will your character attempt to use his Lie to solve plot problems?

6. How will he be “punished” as a result?

7. How will these failures evolve your character’s outlook and tactics?

8. How will your character’s single-minded pursuit of his plot goal lead him closer to the Thing He Wants?

9. How will his pursuit of the Thing He Wants cause him to risk turning farther away from the Thing He Needs?

10. After the First Plot Point, how will the new world or the altered Normal World provide the character with a glimpse of how life might be without his Lie?

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Arc in the Midpoint

The Midpoint is one of the most exciting moments in your story. It’s the moment your character finally gets it. The puzzle pieces fall into place. He realizes what he must do to win the conflict, and he adjusts his actions accordingly. This isn’t an overnight transformation. It’s a build-up of everything he’s learned in the First Act, and he will continue to refine his understanding of the Truth throughout the remainder of the Second Act. When planning your Midpoint, identify the Truth your character must recognize and create a mind-blowing scene to support it. Done right, it will end up being one of the most memorable chapters in your entire book.

1. What personal revelation strikes your protagonist at the Midpoint?

2. How is your protagonist different at the Midpoint from who he was at the First Plot Point?

3. How does the revelation at the Midpoint prompt the character to move from reaction to action by providing him the knowledge to start taking control of the conflict?

4. What definitive action will your protagonist take against the antagonistic force?

5. What new understanding of the conflict does the protagonist gain at the Midpoint?

6. What new understanding of himself does the protagonist gain at the Midpoint?

7. What is his Moment of Truth? What Truth does he recognize and accept? What causes him to accept it?

8. How is your character still consciously clinging to his Lie?

9. What actions is he taking that are based on the Truth?

10. How does the contrast between the simultaneously held Lie and Truth evolve his inner conflict?

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Arc in the Second Half of the Second Act (Act 2C-2D)

On its surface, the Second Half of the Second Act will seem comparatively great for your character. Everything is going his way. He’s learning the value of implementing the Truth in his life. He sees the Truth in action and begins to value it— probably without even realizing it—more than he values the Thing He Wants. Out of habit as much as anything, he’s going to betray that Truth at the end of the Second Act, but he’s already too far gone on the Truth to ever abandon it. He’s already a changed person—and when he reaches the Third Plot Point, he’ll prove it.

1. How is your character starting to take control of the conflict after the Midpoint?

2. How is the revelation at the Midpoint allowing your character to see the conflict in a new light?

3. What “tools” has the Midpoint revelation given your character that make him more effective in confronting the antagonist?

4. How is your character still clinging to his Lie?

5. How is his new Truth causing friction with his old Lie?

6. How is your character still out of sync with the Truth?

7. How does your character’s mindset still support the Lie?

8. How do his actions demonstrate his growing belief in the Truth?

9. How can you use a “before and after” scene to prove how your character is different from who he was in the first half of the story?

10. What false victory will end the Second Act? How has your character compromised the Truth in order to (seemingly) gain the Thing He Wants?

11. How have you blatantly demonstrated the Truth somewhere in the Second Half of the Second Act?

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Arc in the Third Plot Point

The Third Plot Point forces the character to a place where he has no choice but to be absolutely honest with himself about himself and about his situation. In the coming Climax, your protagonist will rise from the ashes, ready to do battle from a place of inner wholeness.

1. What crushing event and/or revelation turns your character’s apparent success into the worst defeat yet?

2. How was this defeat enabled by the character’s refusal, thus far, to completely reject his Lie?

3. How does this defeat force your character to face the true ramifications of the Lie?

4. How can this defeat offer the character a clear path toward the Thing He Wants?

5. If he takes this path, how will it force him to reject the Thing He Needs?

6. How can you set up a clear and decided choice between the Thing He Needs and the Thing He Wants?

7. Which will he choose?

8. How can you literally or symbolically represent death in this scene as a way of reinforcing the demise of your character’s Lie-empowered old self?

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Arc in the Third Act

The Third Act should be an exciting and tension-laden section of your story. But it’s also an all-business section, as you focus on getting all the pieces—both character and plot—assembled for the final showdown in the Climax. If you’ve set up your character’s arc correctly in the previous 90% of your story, you’ll already have everything in place for an incredible character transformation in the Climax.

1. How does your character react to the Third Plot Point?

2. How has his embrace of the Truth made a mess of his life and, specifically, his pursuit of his plot goal?

3. How can you up the stakes by forcing him into both physical and emotional straits?

4. How do these straits force your character to reconsider whether or not the Truth is the right choice for him?

5. How does he rise from these doubts determined to cling to the Truth?

6. What doubts is the character still experiencing about the Truth?

7. How is his inability to completely reject the Lie keeping him from total happiness and empowerment?

8. How are your character’s attitudes and actions different in the Third Act from how they were in the First? How can you subtly reinforce the difference prior to the Climax?

9. How will your character’s devotion to the Truth be put to the test? What character or situation will you use to try to tempt or bully your protagonist back into serving the Lie?

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Arc in the Climax

Your character is just about to complete his arc. He will leave your story a better person than he entered it, and readers can be sure, whatever trials the character may face in the future, he will now better equipped to face them.

1. How does your character prove he is a changed person in the Climax?

2. Does the renewed attack upon his new Truth happen before the Climax or during the Climax? What are the pacing challenges of either choice?

3. How does the character’s final embrace of the Truth enable his victory in the exterior conflict?

4. Does he fully embrace the Thing He Needs in the Climax?

5. How does he use the Thing He Needs to defeat the antagonist?

6. Does he gain the Thing He Wants?

7. How has his view of the Thing He Wants changed? Does he still want it?

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Arc in the Resolution

It isn’t enough to simply have a character change; he must change in a way that harmonizes with the patterns we all recognize in our own lives and those of our family and friends. Readers will resonate with those patterns in your characters—and they will be moved by them.

1. How does your Resolution contrast your story’s beginning?

2. How does your Resolution mirror your story’s beginning?

3. How is the character’s new Normal World different from the original one?

4. Does the character return to his old Normal World?

5. How does the Resolution answer your story’s thematic question?

6. How can you state the answer to the thematic question in dialogue without making it seem like a “moral of the story”?

7. How does your character act differently in the Resolution from how he did at the beginning of the story?

Now the Flat Character Arc. It only has 3 parts

Questions to Ask About Your Character’s Flat Arc in the First Act

A Flat Arc offers the opportunity for you to create a competent, committed protagonist who can transform the world around him. Many heroic stories feature Flat Arcs, not because they’re plot-heavy, but because Flat Arcs allow for explosive change within the world around the character. Don’t make the mistake of thinking Flat Arcs are less complicated or significant than Positive Change Arcs. They’re every bit as exciting and powerful in their own right.

1. What Truth does your character already believe at the beginning of your story?

2. Does he have a Ghost in his backstory that prompted this belief?

3. What Lie, as represented by the antagonistic force, will he have to fight?

4. Does his Normal World represent the Truth he will be fighting to protect—or does it represent the Lie he must overthrow in order to establish the Truth?

5. If the former, how can you illustrate the encroaching threat of the Lie upon that Normal World?

6. When will your protagonist first become aware of the threat of the Lie?

7. Is the protagonist initially reluctant to engage in a battle with the Lie?

8. If he is already committed to battling the Lie, what obstacles in the First Act prevent him from a full-on confrontation with the Lie?

9. What Characteristic Moment can you use to illustrate your character’s devotion to the Truth—and the resultant knowledge and skills he is able to wield?

10. How can your opening illustrate the Lie that opposes the protagonist?

11. Throughout the First Act, how can you use the Lie to prove what is at stake for the protagonist?

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Questions to Ask About the Second Act in a Flat Arc

The reason many Flat Arcs are perceived as “plot-heavy” is that their emphasis is upon the changes in the world around the protagonist. But it is the protagonist’s actions in support of his Truth that cause those changes. More importantly, his Truth-driven actions in the Second Act will begin to change the supporting characters. Thanks to his Flat Arc, they will be following Positive or Negative Change Arcs of their own.

1. How does the First Plot Point force your character into a direct confrontation with the Lie?

2. Does he willingly confront the Lie—or does he confront it only because he has no other choice?

3. How will the character be tempted away from his Truth?

4. How close will he come to actually abandoning the Truth and embracing the Lie?

5. What allies will initially resist his devotion to the Truth?

6. How will those allies eventually be changed by the Truth?

7. How will his enemies resist his Truth?

8. How will those enemies become even more entrenched in the Lie as a result?

9. Is the character’s main plot goal directly related to defeating the Lie in the world around him?

10. If not, why will he have to overcome the Lie in order to reach his main plot goal?

11. What doesn’t the character understand about the Lie in the first half of the story?

12. What important information will he learn about the Lie and the antagonistic force at the Midpoint?

13. How can he offer a Moment of Truth either generally to the world around him or specifically to his allies and/or the antagonist?

14. At the Midpoint, what weakness does the protagonist find in the Lie that he can exploit in the second half?

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Questions to Ask About the Third Act in a Flat Arc

The flat “arc” is often misunderstood and sometimes overlooked. Authors often believe something’s amiss with their stories because their protagonists aren’t changing. But in fact, Flat Character Arcs create some of the most dynamic stories. Strong catalyst characters can be just as flawed and fascinating as can those with the deepest of Change Arcs. But their solid devotion to one foundational Truth gives them the power to create dramatic changes in the world and characters around them. When structured properly, the result can be unforgettable.

1. How is the Truth now evident in the lives of the previously Lie-driven supporting characters?

2. What defeat will nearly break your protagonist—physically, emotionally, or both—at the Third Plot Point?

3. How can he face death—literally or figuratively—in the Third Plot Point?

4. How can you make this defeat as personal as possible for the protagonist?

5. How will your protagonist doubt his ability to conquer the Lie—without actually doubting the Truth itself?

6. How will he overcome this doubt? Will supporting characters encourage him—or will he encourage them?

7. How will you indicate your protagonist’s re-dedication of himself to the Truth after his defeat at the Third Plot Point?

8. Can you offer an outright statement of the conflict’s foundational “Lie vs. Truth” premise?

9. Why will the Truth be intrinsic to the protagonist’s ability to physically defeat the antagonist?

10. How can minor characters’ new grip on the Truth support your protagonist’s final attack on the Lie without stealing the limelight from him?

11. How will the Resolution prove the changes created by the protagonist and his Truth?

12. Will the world be different from how it was in the beginning—or will the protagonist return to the same world he was originally forced to leave?

13. Which of the supporting characters will manifest the Truth in the Resolution?

14. Will the protagonist demonstrate any exterior or personal differences from who he was at the beginning of the story?

15. How can you reinforce that his core Truth has not changed at all?

The Negative Change Arc also has 3 parts.

Questions to Ask About the First Act in a Negative Change Arc

A well-crafted Negative Change Arc provides readers with a protagonist who reveals interesting truths both about the world and about readers themselves. Negative Change Arcs are rarely comfortable, but they are important. It’s no mistake that so many of the greatest and most memorable stories in literature are tragedies. As readers, we resonate with characters who follow the Lie—and pay for it—because it is a cycle we repeat so often in our own lives. When structured properly to gain maximum resonance, a Negative Change Arc can present sober realities that inspire great change in the world around us.

There are three different types of Negative Chance Arc:

The Disillusionment Arc:
CHARACTER BELIEVES LIE > OVERCOMES LIE > NEW TRUTH IS TRAGIC
(Examples: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Training Day directed by Antoine Fuqua)

The Fall Arc
CHARACTER BELIEVES LIE > CLINGS TO LIE > REJECTS NEW TRUTH >
BELIEVES STRONGER/WORSE LIE
(Examples: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Doubt directed by John Patrick Shanley)


The Corruption Arc
CHARACTER SEES TRUTH > REJECTS TRUTH > EMBRACES LIE
(Examples: The Godfather by Mario Puzo, Star Wars Episodes I-III directed by George Lucas)


1. Will your protagonist fulfill a Disillusionment Arc, a Fall Arc, or a Corruption Arc?

2. What Lie will your character fall prey to?

3. How does this Lie manifest in the beginning of your story?

4. How does the Truth manifest in the character (in a Disillusionment Arc) or in the world around him in?

5. How is the character devaluing the Truth in the beginning of the story?

6. What Ghost is influencing the character’s belief in or proclivity toward the Lie?

7. What is the Thing the Character Needs?

8. What is the Thing the Character Wants?

9. If you’re using a Disillusionment Arc, why does the Lie’s Normal World appeal to the character?

10. If you’re using a Fall Arc, how is the character already entrenched in the Lie’s Normal World? Why has he not yet made a move to escape this Normal World?

11. If you’re using a Corruption Arc, how is the character’s Normal World nourished by the Truth? Why is the character still less than comfortable in this world?


12. How can you use the Characteristic Moment to introduce your character’s proclivity toward the Lie?

13. What is at stake for the character if he chooses to follow the Lie?

14. What is at stake for the character if he chooses to follow the Truth?

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Questions to Ask About the Second Act in a Negative Change Arc

The Second Act is the heart of the Negative Change Arc. The First Act is all about setting up the place from which he falls, and the Third Act is all about showing the place to which he falls. But the Second Act is where the falling happens. This is the meaty, chewy stuff that proves your story’s Lie and Truth and convinces readers of the realism of your character’s devolvement. Write a killer Second Act, and your Negative Change Arc will rock readers’ worlds.

1. What is your character’s great fault in the beginning of your story (e.g., lust, hatred, etc.)?

2. How does the First Plot Point initially seem to be a good thing?

3. How is the character’s eventual descent foreshadowed even amid the positive aspects of the First Plot Point?

4. In the First Half of the Second Act, what is hampering the character from gaining the Thing He Wants Most?

5. If you’re writing a Disillusionment Arc, what is your character learning about the Lie in the First Half of the Second Act?

6. If you’re writing a Fall Arc, how is your character suffering for his devotion to the Lie?

7. If you’re writing a Corruption Arc, why is your character growing more and more enamored with the Lie?

8. At the Midpoint, what Moment of Truth gives your character an opportunity to embrace the Truth? Why and how does he reject it?

9. How is your character actively and aggressively using the Lie to pursue the Thing He Wants in the Second Half of the Second Act?

10. In the Second Half of the Second Act, how is the character evolving into the worst possible manifestation of his initial great fault?

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Questions to Ask About the Third Act in a Negative Change Arc

We often think of Negative Change Arcs as depressing, and, indeed, sometimes they are. But they’re also exceedingly necessary, just as vinegar is necessary to cleanse the palate after too much sugar. Tell your Negative Change Arcs boldly. As long as you remember the unique structural turning points and the proper progression of pacing and foreshadowing, you’ll be able to create a Negative Change Arc every bit as compelling and entertaining as one with a happy ending.

1. How will your character fail in the story’s end?

2. How will his actions irrevocably damage others?

3. What tragedy will confront your protagonist at the Third Plot Point?

4. How will your character react to the Third Plot Point?

5. Why does your character’s refusal to embrace the Truth render him powerless to rise from the Third Plot Point better equipped to deal with both his inner and outer conflict?

6. What less-than-ideal (and possibly even downright evil) plan will your protagonist come up with for confronting the antagonistic force and gaining the Thing He Wants?

7. Will supporting characters try to reason with your protagonist? How will he respond?

8. In the Climax, will your character gain the Thing He Wants? If so, why will he realize his victory is still a hollow one? How will he react?

9. Alternatively, will your character fail to gain his ultimate goal? How will he react?

10. After his failure in the Climax, will your character at least momentarily realize the Truth and confront the futility of his actions?

11. How are your character’s actions in the Climax a magnified reflection of his Lie in the beginning of the story?

12. How does your Resolution show the effect of your protagonist’s actions upon supporting characters and the world-at- large?

13. Will you end on a hopeful note or a despairing note? Why?

14. How does your closing scene underline the character’s ultimate failure?

Now, after all that prep work, we have MORE prep work, but you'll see it's beginning to build as well. We're starting to tackle the structure of the story. It's broken up into about fifteen different elements.

1A As you work through the general sketches of your outline, copy/paste the various events you come up with in what you feel is the proper structural section of your outline. This way, you will end up with a chronological outline, even if you’re not writing your outline in order during the early “figure it out” stages. Refer back to your synopsis notes for more information about the structural requirements for each section

You will probably have enough info to fill in these other sections at least in some manner

Inciting Event:
1B
First Plot Point
2A
First Pinch Point
2B
Midpoint
2C
Second Pinch Point
2D
Third Plot Point
3A
Climax
Climatic Moment
Resolution

IF your notes in the above structure sections, above, are lengthy, you can create a second version that's summarized into a beat-by-beat outline that lets you see all the events in your story at a glance

For example, you might take a passage from the Structure section that looks like this:

So Thorne and Chris stumble upon each other. Thorne’s general inclination is to reject Chris — guilty until proven innocent (and maybe there is a reason to think Chris is guilty by Thorne’s standards at that point). He gets involved with Chris about Pitch. Maybe because he still feels Chris's guilty, he takes advantage of Pitch's claim to “own” Chris (but how is that enforced at any level of society?).

Then Chris does him a good turn—proving himself honorable by Thorne's standards—and starts to win Thorne over. And then Thorne pretty much commits to including Chris in his personal list of people worthy of protection.

So Chris shows up, Thorne puts two and two together. He wants to know what the Cherazii are up to (doesn't yet know about the Aevum), and decides there's an opportunity for blackmail or the like.

Chris kind of goes along with it for a while, as long as it serves his purposes for getting to Allara. Then he reveals his identity.

And turn it into this for the Abbreviated Outline:

Raz and Pitch are with Thorne
Thorne claims Chris via Pitch’s ownership
Chris does Thorne a good turn, and Thorne befriends him

This allows you to use the Abbreviated Outline for quick reference, while still referring back to the Structural Outline for your full notes.

In the abbreviated outline notes you'll will need to apply some color coding or marking for each pertinent aspect of the story. Then mark them accordingly
Such as:
-*-Main Plot-*-

*Romance Subplot*

_Family Subplot_

Now I'm generalizing these guides since I can't really apply formatting to the post here. You can use color and highlighting in your electronic notes.

Secrets!
Make a list of each of your characters. What are some secrets (big or small) each is keeping from the others? Can you use any of these as plot reveals later in the story.

After you've created your abbreviated outline make note on another page(s) of any unresolved questions you run into during your outlining. Call it something. I use "Green Notes" since this might be fodder for future stories.

Create another page to record your "General knowledge" about the story or its world. This is the info that doesn't fit tidily within the structure of the outline, scene outline or character interviews. An example is the drive system of a space ship if the story takes place in space and the drive system is common knowledge to the characters. They wouldn't sit there explaining it to the reader. I call it the "Orange Notes"

Yet another page section to sum up the story's thematic premise, including the main Lie and Truth for each character who will be experiencing a arc in the story.

Lie:
Truth:

And don't throw anything away with a delete. Move it to a spare document to save all those tidbits and passages you deleted while outlining and writing-- just in case you decide you want them later on.

Slipping back into Character development. We need to do some sorting. By arch types this time.

Protagonist:
Antagonist:
Sidekick:
Skeptic:
Guardian:
Contagonist:
Reason:
Emotion:
Love Interest:

You should slot all your characters into one of these arch types. Then find or draw a picture that "put you in their mindset" and save it.

From here on it's all world building until you're ready to start writing.

Props
Costumes
Animals
Vehicles

Worldbuilding
Settings
Structural Settings
Record the setting for each of the main structural turning points. This will help you get an overview of your settings and show you where you can perhaps streamline them.

Hook:
Inciting Event:
First Plot Point:
First Pinch Point:
Midpoint/Second Plot Point:
Second Pinch Point:
Third Plot Point:
Climax:
Resolution:


Now questions about the world the story takes place in.

What does the landscape look like?
What kind of plants grow there?
What’s the climate?
What kind of animals are present in the world?

What kind of societies are found in this world?
What kind of clothing are in style?
What moral and religious values define people’s world views?
What language do they speak?
What form of government is currently in place?

How advanced is technology?
What forms of long-distance communication are used?
What modes of transport are available?
How has technology affected entertainment and the arts?
How has technology affected weaponry and modes of warfare?
How advanced are the fields of medicine and science?

What are the natural laws of this world?
Which natural laws are different from our world?
Is there a magical force in your world? How does it work? What are its limitations?

What kind of peoples populate this world?
Are there different races?
How do customs differ between different races and citizens of different districts?
Do the ethnic factions get along?

What’s the history of this world?
How many years of recorded history are available?
What historical epochs have shaped society?

Answer these questions just as you did with your Character Interviews. Let your imagination run wild and record every idea—no matter how extensive and silly it may initially seem.