How To Plot Your Screenplay/Novel/Story
In the previous post, we talked about the most important elements of the plot. In this article we learned about the major plot points:
Beginning, Inciting Incident, First Turning Point, Call to Action, Point of No Return, All Is Lost, Second Turning Point, Climax, and the Ending.
If you still haven’t read it, CHECK IT HERE!
There is a lot of ways to outline the structure of a narrative. Here we try to expand the concept and add some other interesting elements to our major plot points to have a more compelling story.
What we are going to learn today:
Catalyst, Break into Act 2, Midpoint, Low Point, Break into Act 3, and The Final Battle.
The summary of this article is available in this video:
Without any further ado let's get started.
CATALYST
Usually, it is the presence or sing of the antagonist, or sometimes it can be just the presence of the main opposition force. So, it’s not always the appearance of the opposition adversary. The role of the catalyst in the story is to set off a problem or an opportunity on which the protagonist has to act.
BREAK INTO ACT II
As the title says, this plot point launches the story into the second act by solidifying what the protagonist will be pursuing during the story and depicts that the main character starts the journey. (The goal is solidified by the catalyst).
MIDPOINT
Some might say it should be categorized in the major plot points. In any case, as you might have guessed, this is the middle of the script. We strongly advise not to set-up a slow pace midpoint in your script. In midpoint, we need a big increase in intensity, an escalation of the conflict, and a new direction for the narrative. THE MIDPOINT ROLE IS TO CREATE NEW TENSION.
This encourages the reader to turn the page and engage even more than before.
NOTE: It can be the moment that the spectator figures out that the main character is getting closer or farther from his or her goal.
LOW POINT
At this point, the story offers a little bit of disappointment. The protagonist seems to be farthest from his/her objective. But what is the solution?! You can’t leave your hero high and dry in a dark place. Your character is out of option, not you! The answer is, the hero must learn to step forward OR change the plan.
BREAK INTO ACT 3
This is the moment that the hero has made his decision. He knows what he wants to do after the low point. To achieve the goal of the story a new strategy has been created. This plot point pushes the reader to the initial or primary efforts.
FINAL BATTLE
The final confrontation between the main character and the major obstacles. Will the protagonist accomplish that goal? The answer could be either yes or no. This is where we get the dramatic question and answer.
We almost cover all the major plot points and even added some spice to make a well-written script. Just keep in mind that YOU DON’T HAVE TO DISCOVER THESE PLOT POINTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER as you are working on your story. Start with your base idea and use your own knowledge to find your style. As you go forward, you can see that all the pieces of the puzzle are fitting together.