Act 1

1st dramatic phase

the incident that starts the change occurs

event must have profound effect

reader learns about character by watching reaction to event

reader sees effect of transforming incident

 

Chapter One ORDINARY WORLD

establish

establish motivation/lay foundation

 

Chapter Two ORDINARY WORLD

 

Chapter Three CALL TO ADVENTURE

problem adventure

quest

establishes what is at stake

makes goal clear and consequences

establish goal in concrete way

urgency – why now?

someone issues invitation

 

Chapter Four CALL TO ADVENTURE

 

Chapter Five REFUSE THE CALL

refusal heightens tension

character recognizes conflict and conflict will expand

 

Chapter Six RELUCTANT TO CALL

 

Chapter Seven MENTOR

mentor provides a kick in the butt

motivation

their responses make her question her view of the world

building motivation

expression of consequence of ignoring goal and also of accepting call

 

Chapter Eight MENTOR

 

Chapter Nine CROSS THE THRESOLD

point of no return

heroine is committed

there is no taking action back

a moment when the heroine is commits

motivation pushes character through

stakes increase

conflicts obvious

character begins emotional countdown

 

Chapter Ten CROSS THE THRESOLD

 

Act II

2nd dramatic phase

reader see the full effect of the transforming incident

character actions are an expression of what the character thinks and is struggling with

 

Chapter Eleven TESTS, ENEMIES, ALLIES

what is the heroine made of events expose what she has and what she lacks

tests skills and motivation

bonds build between characters; show what character must change

also test threshold guards

small goals will lead to large goals

show character development

and plot advancement

 

Chapter Twelve TESTS, ENEMIES, ALLIES

 

Chapter Thirteen APPROACH THE INMOST CAVE

perilous danger journey – bad place to be uncertainty

motivation must be strong enough to force action

prepare for foreseen conflict

character reassess motivation

practice skills to defeat conflict

shows weapons

 

Chapter Fourteen APPROACH THE INMOST CAVE

 

Chapter Fifteen ORDEAL

gray moment

reader is worried

on brink of battle

mortal jeopardy; life or death moment

stuck between two bad choices

concrete conflict will keep goal if make it through = clear progress

 

Chapter Sixteen ORDEAL

 

Act III

3 rd dramatic phase

contains another incident that defines the results of the transformation

contains a clarifying incident which represents the final stage of transformation

the character understands the true nature of his experience and how it has effected her

this is where true growth occurs

expectations are baffled

illusions are destroyed

reality overtakes fantasy

 

Chapter Seventeen REWARD

small moment of victory

character has a taste of reward/ success

reinforces or changes motivation

physically reward has emotional consequences

original but small goal achieved

 

Chapter Eighteen REWARD

 

Chapter Nineteen ROAD BACK

heroine tries to go back to ordinary world but is stopped because the problem still is not solved

Retreat

battle isn’t won

conscious connection of external and internal goals

if goal is achieved hero learns that there is a more important goal

heroine reevaluates ordinary world and her place in it

 

Chapter Twenty ROAD BACK

 

Chapter Twenty-one RESSURECTION

black moment

last critical moment

character uses growth to act

choice between two bad choices; character applies lesson that has been learned

character must give up something precious to make choice and apply lessons learned

conflict must be dealt with in real and emotional way

clear loss of goal

give to get

black/white

heroine can’t stay the same only change can ensure success

external conflict revealed

emotional baggage

 

Chapter Twenty-two RESSURECTION

 

Chapter Twenty-three RETURN W/ ELIXIER

spread of effects, how story effected everything heroine returns to ordinary world with contrasts – she has more to offer than before

original goal satisfied or replaced

tag line learned

effects of struggle show

conflicts revisited and viewed in different light

 

Chapter Twenty-four RETURN W/ ELIXIER

comfortable in childhood

search for identity takes a person far into their psyche

also, people are changed by dramatic moments of transition

  ie timid person realizes violence is a must sometimes and as a result finds a piece of himself he didn’t know existed