Act Two - The Epiphany
The last piece of the three act structure of Act Two is the Epiphany. It's the emotional moment in the story in which the main character realizes her flaw. The high point of the story in terms of emotion and is the piece which moves the reader into Act Three.
In order for the reader to become involved with the protagonist, she needs to evolve. The epiphany is that part where she will finally come to terms with what she believes and realizes it might not be true. She's at a crossroads and the right decision is essential. For example, if the character has always believed she is dumb and then in a moment of pressure, she is able to perform complex mathematical calculations - aha, she yells, I'm smarter than I thought. This is a very obvious example but easily illustrates the exact moment.
As a reader, this "aha" moment may not always be so straightforward. Regardless, we need to know that the character has recognized it herself. Where she once thought she was incapable of love, perhaps she realizes that she would give her own life to save that of a child. The epiphany must have an impact on what the character does thereafter. If she had not experienced it, everything would be different for the rest of the story. The character would not grow and so would keep making the same mistakes over and over - until ultimately the reader becomes bored and gives up.
I'm a big fan of Stephanie Plum in Janet Evanovich's series. However, Stephanie doesn't grow throughout eighteen (yes, eighteen) novels. She makes the same mistakes repeatedly and eventually the reader wonders what the point is in opening the next book. Stephanie's epiphany may be that she figures out who the killer is but we want more.
This structure is not limited to mysteries. Watch for it as you read the next book. Does the character recognize and overcome her flaws? If not, do you feel as satisfied as if she had?
Happy Trails,
Leslie
Visit my website
In order for the reader to become involved with the protagonist, she needs to evolve. The epiphany is that part where she will finally come to terms with what she believes and realizes it might not be true. She's at a crossroads and the right decision is essential. For example, if the character has always believed she is dumb and then in a moment of pressure, she is able to perform complex mathematical calculations - aha, she yells, I'm smarter than I thought. This is a very obvious example but easily illustrates the exact moment.
As a reader, this "aha" moment may not always be so straightforward. Regardless, we need to know that the character has recognized it herself. Where she once thought she was incapable of love, perhaps she realizes that she would give her own life to save that of a child. The epiphany must have an impact on what the character does thereafter. If she had not experienced it, everything would be different for the rest of the story. The character would not grow and so would keep making the same mistakes over and over - until ultimately the reader becomes bored and gives up.
I'm a big fan of Stephanie Plum in Janet Evanovich's series. However, Stephanie doesn't grow throughout eighteen (yes, eighteen) novels. She makes the same mistakes repeatedly and eventually the reader wonders what the point is in opening the next book. Stephanie's epiphany may be that she figures out who the killer is but we want more.
This structure is not limited to mysteries. Watch for it as you read the next book. Does the character recognize and overcome her flaws? If not, do you feel as satisfied as if she had?
Happy Trails,
Leslie
Visit my website
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