Second Act

What a week it's been.

I'm into week three of my scriptwriting course and the learning curve is very steep. I am amazed at how much easier it is to analyse a script than to actually write one, not that we are writing scripts at all. The 25 of us (students) are spending hours and hours at the moment trying to figure out how the story we have in our head can be organised into 9 structural plot points within 3 acts.

I cannot tell you how difficult this is for me.

It took me an entire week of frustration to finally realise that my story has no 2nd act. I have a set-up, inciting incident, a climax and a resolution...but no significant setback, no change of plan, no mid-point ('no way back'), no 'things couldn't get worse' and no 'glimmer of hope'. It turns out that what I thought were my 'significant setback' and 'no way back' were simply interesting but minor 1st act scenes.

I have to try to be more dramatic. It looks like only a very difficult journey can lead to a truly satisfying happy ending.

You'd think I would have known that by now, hmph.

To end on a happier note (at least blog posts don't need to follow a particular structure....or do they?) here is the inciting incident from Tootsie: