Act Two- Part One - Sequence Three and Four

In Act Two, the character crosses over into his/her new world. A plan is made, allies are gathered, and tools and training is acquired. There is usually a failed battle before the final battle. The character goes through at least two attempts to reach his/her goal. Each try will be a sequence. In some stories, this section will contain more than two sections. The climax of Act Two - Part One should give a glimpse of the final answer, sometimes mirroring its opposite.

Act Two - Sequence Three - On the train, Harry quickly gathers his team. They arrive at the school and Hagrid escorts the kid into their new world. The climax, the sorting ceremony, Harry must make a choice between good and bad, which gives us a glimpse at the answer to the central question. Will Harry be a good wizard? The sequence ends with Harry feeling lonely, pulling the audience in to care for this young boy.

Act Two - Sequence Four - The story shifts to morning and we meet the teachers. At Lunch, a new question is formed. Is Hagrid good or bad? The missing item from 713 raises suspicion in Harry's mind. Harry has a flying lesson and becomes the youngest Seeker ever. On the forbidden third flour, the kids discover yet another of the school's mysteries.

Act Two - Sequence Five - On the athletic field, we are reintroduced to Harry's double nature. He would be a good Beater(bad) as well as a good Seeker(good). At class, Hermione shows her true character (she is perfect, isn't she) and Ron doesn't like it. There's trouble in the trio, already.

We are told that the girl is in the bathroom and then a disturbance of a troll is made known. The two boys rush to Hermione and discover that she's under attack. Together, they stop the troll. A strong bond is formed between the kids.

Notice there is an additional sequence in this Act. The movie is long, allowing for additional directions within the story.

As usual, feel free to comment.

Act One - Sequence Two

Act One - Sequence Two - Each sequence should take up about fifteen minutes of a movie and fifty pages of a four hundred page book. These counts will vary.

In sequence two, you will finish your set up, move your characters through the crossing threshold and end with the central question of the story. This is also known as the turning point one.

Now back to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Sequence two begins in a tavern and then moves to Diagon Alley. Harry gathers the tools he will need in his new world. Harry's inner need to use his powers for good is revealed at the wand shop. This also sets up the central question of the overall series. Will Harry turn out good or evil?

Back in the tavern, Harry's biggest enemy is revealed and the Central Question for movie one or book one is set up. Will the dark wizard come after Harry, and will Harry be able to survive?

This sequence ends with Harry jumping through the pillar at Platform. He enters his new world which ends Act One.

Again feel free to share your thoughts and/or examples.

Act One - Sequence One

Act One is the set up of your story. You will reveal the major players, themes, locations, conflicts, and the main conflict. You will show the inner and outer need of your protagonist. There will be setups and payoffs, rising stakes, and a possible time clock set into motion.

Act One- Sequence One- In a movie, this will normally take up the first fifteen minutes. In a novel, of four hundred words, you will find it in the first fifty pages. The page counts will vary per novel.

In sequence one, you will answer the questions who, what, where, when, and why: Characters, goals, setting, time, and motivation. This sequence will end with the inciting incident.

I'm going to use Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone as an example. I hope everyone has seen the movie. If not, watch it before moving forward. It's a very good movie.

Sequence One begins with the prologue, where we are introduced to the setting of magical world meets human, or muggle, world. We met the main character, Harry, as a baby and are introduced to his mentors.

The movie then flashes forward to present time. We are introduced to the main character's normal world and his conflicting family.

The zoo scene introduces a foreshadowing, those who have seen the series will know what I'm referring to, and the main character's desire to have a real family.

The invitations are the main character's call to adventure, or inciting incident. His uncle steps in as the Refusal of the call. But, the call cannot be refused when Hagrid arrives to escort the boy to the Hogwart's School.

As the main character follows Hagrid out the door to begin his adventure, we arrive at the end of Sequence One.

I'll end there for today. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow as we walk into Sequence two of Act One. Feel free to share examples of your own.

Three Acts, Eight Sequences

The basic structure of fiction: Does it apply to all fiction? I don't think so. I've spent the weekend going over my index cards, applying the structure to movies, and glancing through some of my favorite short stories. All have a beginning, middle, and end, which is the main concept of the three acts, but breaking them into eight sequences, seemed to be another matter entirely.

I watched Tears of the Sun this weekend, paying close attention for the sequences and yes they are there. It seems the process is much clearer in visual work rather the written word.

I was able to divide my cards, False Memory by Dean Koontz into three acts and managed to find a few of the sequences. It appears that the first sequence may be missing from books entirely, jumping quickly into the next sequence.

I read through short stories in Shroud Issue 2 Mar/April 2008. The acts are there in short versions, but seemed a waste of time looking for sequences, which I did not find. I'm sure longer short stories may have apparent sequences within.

Throughout the week, I will be visiting the different Acts and sequences. Feel free to share your comments on the structure.