11 March 2010

5 Key Scenes

  1. Scene, moment, conflict, dilemma, loss, fear, etc. that forces protagonist to take immediate action -- Inciting Incident
  2. Scene or event that symbolizes the end of what was. The protagonist's goal shifts or takes on greater meaning and turns the story in a new direction, launching the character into the actual story world itself -- End of the Beginning (*)
  3. The moment the protagonist consciously makes a total commitment to achieving her goal and does something that signifies she has burned all bridges back and thus can only go forward -- Halfway Point
  4. Scene or event that symbolizes an all-is-lost moment -- Crisis (*)
  5. Scene or event that, just as it looks as if all is permanently lost for the protagonist, she saves the day -- Climax (*)

Think of these 3-5 scenes/events as energetically holding more meaning and symbolism than the others.