Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development

by K.M. Weiland

The First Half of the Second Act is where your character reacts to the First Plot Point. The First Half of the Second Act shows your character trying to regain his balance and figure out how to survive in this new world in which he finds himself. The First Half of the Second Act features a Pinch Point (at the 37% mark), in which the antagonist flexes his muscles and reminds readers what the protagonist is up against. The First Half of the Second Act begins immediately after the First Plot Point and continues until the Midpoint at the 50% mark. Speaking generally, you can divide your book into two halves. The first half is about the character’s reacting to events; the second is about his taking action. This is nowhere clearer than in the First Half of the Second Act, as the true burden of the character’s Lie finally begins to emerge.