Act Three - the Plan

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I've been writing about the three act structure, which is essential, in my opinion, to a successful mystery.  In the first part of Act Three, the protagonist devises a solution to her problem. This plan is only possible because she experienced the epiphany at the end of Act Two.

Once our protagonist has experienced her epiphany, she is ready to move on. She must have a plan to succeed. In the case of Jayne in Menu for Murder, her epiphany comes when she realizes she might be stronger than she thought.

 Jayne says:  "It was at that moment when I realized I couldn't have saved my dad but I could save myself.  I wasn't a failure at all."

She realizes that she must solve the crime herself in order to clear her name. In order to do that she must have a plan.

For Jayne, the plan comes as she starts to put the clues together. It's here where she will experience setbacks but her helpers (Bailey and Jonas) will keep her moving forward.

Another example of the plan which comes to my mind from a movie is when the Bruce Willis character kn Die Hard decides how he'll save his wife from the terrorists. he has a plan - it doesn't always work exactly as he expects but it moves the movie toward the exciting climax.

Watch for the plan as you read your next mystery or any other genre novel.

Happy Trails,

Leslie

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