Writing for emotional impact : advanced dramatic techniques to attract, engage, and fascinate the reader from beginning to end by Karl Iglesias

Author:Karl Iglesias
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: WingSpan Press
Published: 2011-03-27T14:00:00+00:00

ACT II—TENSION AND ANTICIPATION

This is where most of the action takes place, as your hero pursues his goal amid obstacles and complications that threaten to defeat him. This is the largest act in terms of size, and where most scripts fall apart, making it the greatest technical challenge for the writer. Special attention is needed to pace this section well, using an assortment of the techniques covered in the previous chapter to arouse the major storytelling emotions. Tension is essential here, as the reader should constantly wonder whether your main character will win or lose. The greater the conflict and urgency in achieving the goal, the greater the reader’s interest level. In short, the second act is all about the hero’s struggle and the escalation of tension.

OBSTACLES AND COMPLICATIONS

To ensure a struggle, you need conflict—roadblocks in the form of obstacles and complications. Again, refer to the previous chapter for more on the subject. Just make sure the obstacles are different throughout the script, since redundant conflicts eventually diminish emotional impact. Looking at the obstacles and complications in Some Like It Hot, they are: having to dress up as women to join the all-girl band; avoiding detection by the band’s leader; resisting temptation being among women; falling for Sugar; and having to fend off men’s advances at the Florida hotel, especially from Osgood Fielding III, who’s interested in Daphne/Jerry.

THE MIDPOINT

Because the second act is so long and attention spans so short, the midpoint is often a highly intense pivotal moment, twist, or reversal that re-energizes the hero on his quest. It’s called the midpoint because it usually happens halfway in the act, splitting it in two. The midpoint is often when the hero decides to stop being reactive and becomes a more active hero, or is forced into being one. He becomes fully committed to his goal and takes more desperate actions. In E.T., it’s when the alien tells Elliott he must phone home, and Elliott decides to help him; in The Godfather, it’s when Michael kills Sollozzo and McCluskey at the restaurant and flees to Sicily; and in Some Like It Hot, it’s when Joe decides to seduce Sugar by disguising himself as Junior, the heir to the Shell fortune.

PROGRESSIVE COMPLICATIONS AND REVERSALS

From this point on, you want the obstacles and complications to increase in intensity as we head towards the climax of the second act. More reversals and discoveries occur to stir up additional emotions in the reader. In Some Like It Hot, the progressive complications following Joe’s decision to go after Sugar include: Jerry’s jealousy as he tries to sabotage Joe’s scheme; having to accept Osgood’s dinner date so that Joe can use the yacht to impress Sugar; Sugar believing Joe is a millionaire; Daphne announcing her engagement to Osgood after her great date; and Spats arriving at the hotel for a mob conference.

THE DARKEST MOMENT (ACT TWO CLIMAX)

During the progressive complications stage of the story, the protagonist makes a series of choices that eventually lead him to

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.