A few weeks ago, I started writing a series of posts about the blueprint I use for outlining my stories: the Save the Cat beat sheet. I also introduced the first and second parts of the beat sheet. In this post, I’ll dive into the third part, which covers the second portion of the second act.
Beat #10: Bad Guys Close In
The “bad guys close in” beat consists of multiple scenes that stat right after the midpoint of the story. The beat makes up half the scenes in the second part of act 2.
After the midpoint happens, and the Main Character (MC) realizes that they need to change their M.O. in order to get what they want, it’s time to formulate and implement a new plan. But here’s the thing: because the MC hadn’t yet learned the “life lesson” of the story, their new plan is still going to suck. So, as the MC moves forward on their journey, events will keep challenging them (i.e., “the bad guys”) in ways that they’re not yet equipped to deal with.
If the midpoint beat was a “false victory” this part of the story will generally be a downward spiral for the MC: things will get progressively worse. If the midpoint was a “false defeat” this part will usually be where things seem to get better and better. However, even if things seem to get better for your MC, their life is not rainbows and unicorns: they still have to deal with the internal obstacle that is keeping them learning the story’s “life lesson”.
This beat stretches from the middle of your novel to 75% of your total word count.
Beat #11: All Is Lost
This beat constitutes the lowers point of your story. It’s an action beat in which something horrible happens to the MC that completely crushes them. Combined with the threat of the bad guys closing in, the MC hits rock bottom (even after if things seemed to be looking up after a “false defeat”).
Generally, there a so-called “whiff of death” element in this beat: someone or something (almost) dies (literally or metaphorically) in order to symbolize the “death” of the “old MC” and their upcoming transformation into their new, improved version.
Whatever happens in this beat, it must feel bigger than anything else that’s happened in the story so far. It must be dramatic and terrible and earthshattering. It must feel insurmountable to your MC. This beat must end something, so the MC is finally willing to abandon their old, flawed ways and become their new, improved version.
This beat occurs around 75% of your total word count.
Beat #12: Dark Night of the Soul
In this beat, the MC takes time to process all the things that have happened to them. They’ve hit rock bottom, and they feel like they are in the middle of their darkest hour. This is the moment right before they get some sort of epiphany, learn the story’s life lesson, and finally figure out what they TRULY need to do to get what they want.
This beat consists of multiple scenes that start around 75% of the total word count.
Beat #13: The Break Into 3
The beat is the bridge between Act 2 and Act 3 of your story. It is also the “aha!” moment of the story: the MC realizes what they must do to fix ALL THE THINGS. The MC embraces whatever change they need to make: their character arc is nearly complete.
Until this point, the MC has avoided the story’s life lesson. They’ve gone after what they wanted in all the wrong ways. Now, the MC finally understands the lesson. Based on what they’ve learned, they use this beat to reformulate their plan. The MC decides what to do next. This choice will carry them into Act 3.
This is a single-scene beat about facing and acting on the truth. It usually occurs around 80% of your total word count.
I hope you found this helpful! Of course, writing remains a highly subjective thing: what works for me doesn’t necessarily have to work for you (and that’s perfectly okay). Next time, I’ll be talking about the beats in Act 3!