NANOWRIMO Tips and Tricks (Day Twenty)

The Act II Turning Point and Breaking into Act III

By the end of this today, we will be really close to jumping into Act III. This turning point and a few more parts of the story will take us into Act III and should give us some sense of the finale. This turning point will also force the hero to make one last decision before the worst day of his life.

The events of the turning point will be extremely important because the main character is forced to make a really big decision. In this big decision, it is likely that he and maybe everyone else that is on the quest with him could perish and could die. It could be a situation where they will not be able to survive and may be forced to make significant choices. They are already embattled and the hero has already been put to the test, but this is the time when things will change for him once again.

He will also be responsible for creating the events in the story. The choices he makes in this moment of crisis when things are not going well will determine what actually happens to the rest of the crew and perhaps in his life.

This will set up the climax and the final confrontation with the villain, but he must get beat down to the point of almost total destruction. This might be a whiff of death or a glancing blow that causes severe injury.

It is likely that you have an idea of where this could go, but it is time to reconsider the plan that you have and maybe extend it every further. One of the things to consider is what other direction could this story go? The hero could and should determine where this might go with his actions and with the movements he makes in this crisis.

As the author, you should consider other options as a result. What would happen is the exact opposite were to take place. Maybe the hero chooses to go in the opposite direction or maybe he chooses to do something totally different. Another thing that might be interesting for you as the writer, is to consider what is the most outrageous thing that could happen at this point? What could put the hero in the most inherent danger, but be totally the opposite of what the readers and the audience might think would be happening?

Now, you should also think about the following in terms of your final goal with the hero. The hero has been on a quest and is in a position to make a final move in defeating the villain. The hero will have a direct path to the climax, but when he gets there what will happen to his pursuit of his goal.

Before you dismiss the idea, there are a few options that might make the story surreal, strange, or different.

First off, you know his goal. Will he obtain his goal? What would be the result of the story if he did not obtain the goal? What would happen if he did not do what he was supposed to do and win the battle? Does he need to obtain the goal?

What if he abandoned it in the face of danger and chose to go after something totally different at that time. Would it be a satisfactory ending? What if the readers were setup to believe that he was going to go after that goal the whole time and then he went in another direction? Could he even get both?

Will he give up? Will he get ruined in the face of the battle and will he get ruined as he does it?

What are all of the clues that lead up to this point? What are the things that the reader would expect and what is it that would be in each of these parts?

Tomorrow is the worst night that the hero will have. Tomorrow is the Darkest Night that will come from the story. Think about how you can make it incredibly hard for the hero all day tomorrow and then give it to him.

Also, by the end of today, you will need to be at 33,333 words. We are closing in on the end of the story. Think long and hard about what it is that you still want and go get it. This is really great and is an awesome achievement. Burst through with your words and win the day!