![]() If the writer hasn’t, to some minor degree, mapped out the plot of the entire story, then the second act may cause problems. A subplot develops that could make trouble for the main character.The character finds out a secret that makes them change from good to bad.Develop a love interest (only to have it end in the final act).You can even have moments of exposition through flashbacks here. Great second acts merge the plot goal and a personal goal of the character (s) to ensure the drama is alive to keep the reader’s attention. Developing character arcs in the middle section are mandatory. They are the most important part of the novel. In other words, the overall story becomes more fleshed out. Settings may get more developed if influential to the characters and plot. Well, since the second act is usually quite lengthy, you should have a plan. Outright copying is looked down upon in any Art (fiction writing is no different). ![]() *Note: If adopting a strategy or structure of another writer for your own work of fiction, I advise you to tweak it. Also, this is nothing new. From ancient texts to Shakespeare to the current fiction of today, writer’s have been using others works to tell their own stories for millenniums. However, it is not done from a place of spite, but from admiration to the writer and text. Writers use names, use words, use scenes, use entire chapters, and even use structure from other novels, films, and poems. Every writer on the planet has adopted something they have read prior. You have the freedom of the American Bald Eagle.Īssuming you are an aspiring fiction writer who also enjoys reading fiction, I suggest beginning taking detailed notes to your favorite novels and to every piece of fiction you have ever read, really. You’re only 100 pages deep in your Great American novel and now you must face writing the second act! What to Do with Middle Sections? You open the document to the last chapter you wrote and see a blinking cursor. Finally, you will be a millionaire.Īnd then you wake up. The advance alone could pay off your current bills and then some. ![]() You have dreams of opening that email from your literary agent to tell you they landed a New York publishing company deal. And you more than likely have the third act already pre-destined in your head or on paper. The second act frees you from any expectations and allows you to tell any story you want. As a writer who has suffered through the same adventures as you, I will provide every answer I have to make your second act electrifying. There are no restraints akin to that of a typical expository introduction or a third act climax where questions are answered. ![]() Just think of the middle section of your novel as pure freedom, which it is. It then morphs into an actual story where the writer must explore different dimensions of the character and the plot. It is as if the entire story takes on a new dynamic when we finish that first act. For writers who have completed the first draft of their novels, they likely know how difficult it was to get through that middle section. ![]()
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