As the longest act in a three act story, the second act often becomes a daughting task for the new writer. Stalling out while writing the second act is a common problem for most new writers, so I thought we should take a look at just a few general things a writer can do to avoid stalling.

1. The first turning point

Though this might seem like a super-basic reminder, it’s something I see overlooked by writers all the time.

Starting off on the right foot is important when it comes to storytelling for the screen, so be sure you set your characters off onto their adventure with a firm turning point.

While it doesn’t have to be setting sail or leaving the village, the first turning point should clearly reveal that your character is moving away from their world of origin as established in the first act.

For examples of this, check out A New Hope, The Matrix, and Raiders of the Lost Arc.

2. Introduce the love interest

once you’ve moved into the second act, you’re probably wondering what comes next — the beauty of screenwriting is, there’s no right or wrong answer.

That said, a lot of storytellers find that introducing the love interest at this point fits the audience’s need for change.

3. Explore the new world

Whether you’ve set our on a physical journey or an internal one, now is a good time (especially during the first half of the first act) to explore the world of story.

Consider Alice in Wonderland and all of the things she runs into at this point in the story.

4. Allies

One type of character the protagonist often meets during the second act is the ally — Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion are are exceptional examples of this. While they might be a bit on the nose, they served the story of Wizard of Oz exceptionally.

Allies come in all shades and sizes, so there’s no limit to what an ally might be or what purpose they’ll serve.

The key to creating great allies is to create characters that help the protagonist along the journey, as opposed to crack funny lines here and make stupid mistakes there just to make the protagonist look good. Consider the allies in Star Wars –

5. Enemies

Where ever you have allies, you’ll most definitely have enemies — and not all of them will be related to your antagonist. Conflict is what keeps the audience interested, so be sure you’re enemies out-weigh your allies.

Overall the idea is to keep the story moving forward — the more elements of story you make use of during your second act, the less likely you are to run out of fuel and stall.

That said, these elements aren’t meant to be plugged in to your story — consider them more like shells that you must fill with each story. If the goal is to keep the story moving forward, then you’ll have to decide which of the elements, if not all, is right for you and your story.

How do you avoid stalling in act 2?

Take a second to share any and all tips you have when it comes to avoiding stalling out in act 2.