Debbie Moon at 2013-09-25 17:12:09:
Think so. My protagonist realises she's made a terrible mistake and leaves her destructive new 'family' - but they won't let her go that easily!
lisakothari42 at 2013-09-25 18:26:03:
Yes, according to my beat sheet - but given your comment yesterday, Scott, what should be happening by the end of Act 2 in scripts today. I'm curious if it aligns with the traditional beat sheet or should it be further along?
Scott at 2013-09-26 04:45:34:
Lisa, I am loathe to use the word "should" with anything related to writing a story because there is so much in the way of formulaic writing going in the screenwriting world. However at some point in the story, there is almost always a 'dark night of the soul' experience for the Protagonist. In terms of plot, it's most often tied to a Big Reversal which turns them away from their goal, all the better if it seems like there is no hope going forward. Psychologically speaking, it's a fork-in-the-road: Logic dictates it's over, they should go back, but that means they reject everything they have learned and become in their journey. So almost invariably they choose to go forward, even against enormous odds. That is likely the end of Act Two what many people call All Is Lost. I'd rather think about it as a stage in their psychological journey rather than hitting P. 85-90 in a script, but the fact is script readers DO think like that in terms of page count, so there you go.