CHARACTER CHANGE - SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS - ACT 2 - Second ACt

There is common problem in screenwriting in which screenwriters get lost in Act 2.  They get stuck.  They get bored!

And if they would just plot it all out before hand it would make the screenwriting soooo much easier.  Ha!

The irony here lies in the reality that if you make it easy...the screenwriting ends up hard.

What?!

Well, if you've ever had to make a change in your life...

What do I mean by change in your life?

I'm addressing a situation in which you had to break apart from a person place or thing.

That definition is the same for your main character.  Their character arc or character change or character growth is forged in the fires of breakup and fused in the fires of bonding.

So, if you've ever had to make a change in your life...

Think about that change.

Thing about the steps you had to take.  Maybe even forced to take.

What do I mean by steps?

A step is an action that keeps you from the person, place, or thing you do not want to let go of, or you want to let go of but it seems to follow you.

How does a step feel?

It can feel like shit.  It can make you look back and say "Why am I doing this?"  It can make you say "I would rather be doing that than continuing to work toward this goal."

What about steps that feel good?

The first step you take towards your goal will probably feel fantastic.  It's the second and third and fourth, etc. that start to feel crappy.  They start to form the realization in your head that your goal is leading you away from a person place or thing, leading you away from a person place or thing you may not have realized it was going to lead you away from.

You wanted to write a screenplay by the end of the month but your friends are all hanging out tonight...oh the pain of missing out on social events!!!

It's these thoughts and feelings that need to be inserted into action and reaction scenes within your screenplay as the main character continues toward their goal, wrestles with the costs of trying to achieving their goal.

Eventually, you and your main character will start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  You will let go of the old person place or thing along with those feelings that came with it.  And you will being to fuse with a new person place or thing and new feelings will arise.

Now you may have to deal with the person place or thing that you've left behind and their feelings.  Because they may just seek to hurt you.  But of course that depends on your story.

THE POINT IS:

To keep moving toward the goal, keep your main character moving toward the goal, infuse the story with those good and BAD feelings that arise with character change, and experience the miracle of transformation happen right before your heart and mind.

So if you've ever had to make a change in your life...
Think back on the positive and negative feelings you went through.
Those were the signs and symptoms that your main character must also experience.

I'm not just talking about moving to a new town, breaking up with a lover, or letting go of your legos.

Change can also be a lifestyle issue.
If you decide, or your main character decides to give up unhealthy eating and relaxing...the first day of eating well and exercising might feel great...but as you continue to strive toward your health goals, those old fast food meals and nights out with friends eating and drinking all you want are going to call to you like a siren.  And bad feelings of regret, desire to give up and go back to your old ways, those feelings will return at some point.  Put those feelings in your characters words and actions and push them to overcome them and continue on their journey to their goal.

Change can be a set of beliefs:
If you decide to befriend a person your family doesn't want you to hang out with... the first time you hang out it might feel fun, like your rebelling...but if you keep hanging out and doing new things, meeting more people like your new friend, your family will start to "Attack"  and their beliefs and your desire to forge with beliefs of another kind are going to start to release feelings inside of you or your character.

So if you find yourself getting stuck in act 2...
Awaken to the fact that your actually getting somewhere and let those feelings of change start to sneak into your screenwriting.  And thank your lucky stars, because that means you're a fucking human being!

Ahhhh CHANGE.  Change your shorts. Change your hairstyle.  Change your relationship with me and leave a goddamn comment!
Please.