Act II thrusts the character into a new world. In this new world, the character will come into direct conflict with the antagonist or antagonistic forces intent on stopping him or her from reaching their goal.

The midpoint is in the middle of Act II and the middle of the story, and is often called the reversal. The first half of Act II, the protagonist gains new information and new allies in pursuit of his goal. There is often trouble along the way, but the protagonists progress towards his goal as he overcomes these obstacles and learns important information that he will need later.

The midpoint changes everything. Something upends the protagonist’s progress, and the antagonist or antagonistic forces begin to win, and the hero begins to lose. This situation also appears in stories where an antagonist is not a person but the protagonist’s false belief, or an institution or organization that confronts the protagonist in a less direct or personal manner. The protagonist will start losing. These losses will culminate in the dark moment or all-is-lost moment at the end of Act II.

When plotting out the novel, consider the midpoint carefully. Some action films especially begin by showing the audience the midpoint and then go back and show them how the characters got there. The purpose is to set the tone and display the central conflict. Filmmakers often use this technique as a hook to draw the audience into the story and make them stick around to find out how the characters got to that point. This term is called in medias res and is used more in film than literature. [Example: Then Hangover and The Emperor’s New Groove]

The midpoint of the story is the highest point of tension until the climax. The Hangover, begins by showing us the aftermath of what appears to have been a night of partying that got out of hand. To reconstruct that night, the entire film aims to put the pieces back together. However, if you played the scenes in order as they happened—rather than in reverse as you see in the film—the moment the characters wake up to find a trashed hotel room and missing friend, their story stops being about a night of fun and debauchery. The characters now must face the consequences of the previous night’s events. There are a series of people whom they wronged, and to find out where their friend is, they must correct those wrongs—like returning a stolen tiger to its owner.

But the goal of having an unforgettable bachelor party turns into a new quest to save their friend.