Act I is simple. You introduce your characters, set up the quest or plot goal, and establish your character’s wound. The wound becomes the foundation for the character’s internal arc of change. At the end of Act I, you have the inciting incident—the event that thrusts your character out into a strange world.
But Act II is the longest and most difficult to write. Many writers get stuck here and never complete their novels. There is a simple reason for this: Act II must be full of events and characters that test and burnish your protagonist through overwhelming obstacles and adversities.
Change is difficult and painful in the real world as well as in the fictional one. But your character must change or you don’t have a story. So how?
I found the most insightful video on YouTube recently regarding “plot coupons.” Plot coupons solve the problem of how to get your character from point A (the inciting incident) to point B (the climax).
If I understand the concept correctly, plot coupons are objects or knowledge collection along the journey that become necessary to achieving the plot goal.
Say your character needs to rescue the damsel locked in a tower by an evil sorcerer and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. (aka the plot to Sleeping Beauty). But let’s say, the prince must first find a magical sword that can cut through the vines and thorns surrounding the castle. There will be a little side quest to earn or locate and acquire the sword.
Next, he needs an enchanted lute that will play a lullaby and put the dragon to sleep. This takes him on another side quest.
Each quest will test the moral character of your hero. He will have opportunities to go back or take the easy road. He will pass some test and fail others. Each will sharpen his will and teach him something about himself that he didn’t know before.
The side quests test your character’s internal wound, and the knowledge and skills gained through these quests eventually help to heal your character’s wound.
Perhaps your character needs a special key to get into the locked tower where his princess is hiding. Here your hero faces the ultimate test. The stakes and tension are at the highest point. Your hero saves the princess or fails and both become trapped.
It seems simple to outline, but the tricky bit is coming up with the exact tests, quests, and plot coupons that will fulfill both the plot goal and your character’s internal arc of change.
I’ve linked the video I mentioned above regarding “plot coupons.” I hope it helps you as it did me.
Act Two: the Slog
Act I is simple. You introduce your characters, set up the quest or plot goal, and establish your character’s wound. The wound becomes the foundation for the character’s internal arc of change. At the end of Act I, you have the inciting incident—the event that thrusts your character out into a strange world.
But Act II is the longest and most difficult to write. Many writers get stuck here and never complete their novels. There is a simple reason for this: Act II must be full of events and characters that test and burnish your protagonist through overwhelming obstacles and adversities.
Change is difficult and painful in the real world as well as in the fictional one. But your character must change or you don’t have a story. So how?
I found the most insightful video on YouTube recently regarding “plot coupons.” Plot coupons solve the problem of how to get your character from point A (the inciting incident) to point B (the climax).
If I understand the concept correctly, plot coupons are objects or knowledge collection along the journey that become necessary to achieving the plot goal.
Say your character needs to rescue the damsel locked in a tower by an evil sorcerer and guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. (aka the plot to Sleeping Beauty). But let’s say, the prince must first find a magical sword that can cut through the vines and thorns surrounding the castle. There will be a little side quest to earn or locate and acquire the sword.
Next, he needs an enchanted lute that will play a lullaby and put the dragon to sleep. This takes him on another side quest.
Each quest will test the moral character of your hero. He will have opportunities to go back or take the easy road. He will pass some test and fail others. Each will sharpen his will and teach him something about himself that he didn’t know before.
The side quests test your character’s internal wound, and the knowledge and skills gained through these quests eventually help to heal your character’s wound.
Perhaps your character needs a special key to get into the locked tower where his princess is hiding. Here your hero faces the ultimate test. The stakes and tension are at the highest point. Your hero saves the princess or fails and both become trapped.
It seems simple to outline, but the tricky bit is coming up with the exact tests, quests, and plot coupons that will fulfill both the plot goal and your character’s internal arc of change.
I’ve linked the video I mentioned above regarding “plot coupons.” I hope it helps you as it did me.
Why We Tell Stories 
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