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How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story – Part Four

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So, your hero has accepted the call, and the adventure is officially underway. Welcome to Act 2: the wild and crazy rollercoaster of your story! Now the real fun—or maybe the real trouble—begins. Let’s dive in!

Beat 7: B-Story

Every hero needs a sidekick, mentor, or love interest to help them navigate their new world. This supporting character might bring a different perspective to the narrative, provide comic relief, or even become an antagonist. The B-story character adds depth to your main character and creates opportunities for conflict and growth. They also provide an excellent character foil, reflecting qualities or abilities the hero needs to embrace to complete their developmental arc.

For example, Ron and Hermione are Harry’s sidekicks (Harry Potter), Peeta is Katniss’s love interest (The Hunger Games), and Bumble Bee is Seth’s mentor (Transformers).

Sometimes, the main character meets the B-story character earlier in the story, but they either aren’t close to each other, dislike one another, or aren’t active in each other’s worlds.

Beat 8: Fun and Games

Here’s where the rubber meets the road—your character grows, learns the ropes, and faces challenges. Think of Fun and Games as a series of adventures, obstacles, and triumphs where your character develops new skills and learns the rules of their upside-down world.

This setup to the midpoint is a long beat—25% of your novel. The clock stops temporarily, and the stakes take a back seat. Your main character’s problems don’t disappear, but they aren’t urgent.

In The Hunger Games, Katniss practices her weapon skills and performs for the crowd as the “Girl on Fire.” The Games haven’t started, but she tries to gain favor with the audience in hopes that they’ll send gifts to help her survive.

In Harry Potter, Harry and his friends explore the world of Hogwarts with all its funny, odd, and sometimes questionable magical features. They also attend classes where they learn to brew potions and cast spells to help them survive later in the book.

See how it works?

Beat 9: The Midpoint

The midpoint is the halfway point of your novel that sets the tone for the events to follow. This single-scene beat is the moment when your character realizes that circumstances aren’t as they seem, the stakes are raised, and things get real. Think of it as the climax of Act 2 that leads into the final push toward the climax of your story.

A literal clock or bomb is often used in this beat to trigger the reader’s sense of urgency.

Act 2 is where your story truly takes shape. It’s a playground for character development, plot twists, and world-building. Understanding these key elements will help you create a compelling story that keeps your readers hooked.

Quit thinking of the middle of your novel as the messy section because challenges and surprises make for pure awesomeness! With these plot-mapping tips, you’ll be equipped to craft a compelling and well-paced middle in no time!

Next, we’ll tackle the second half of Act 2, where everything is darkest before the dawn!

A headshot of Ali Cross.

Ali Cross

Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.
Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.

    How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story—Part Two

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    In Part One of our article series, we introduced “Save the Cat” (STC) Acts as a guide to help you understand the purpose of each part of your story. Each act is broken down into “beats”—essential story parts. It’s entirely up to you how detailed you plan out each beat prior to writing, making STC completely customizable. As a rebel myself, I thoroughly enjoy things I can make entirely my own—and I suspect many of you feel the same too.

    The Transformation Machine

    Consider your hero’s transformation before outlining, and especially before you write. Knowing the hero’s wound (flaw or problem), their want (what they think will solve their problem or make them feel better), and their need (what you as the creator of their story know they truly need) will inform how your hero behaves at each beat. The Transformation Machine is about creating resonance between your reader and your hero by making the hero relatable. The more your readers can see themselves in the hero’s problem or flaw, the more readers will want to read about them.

    Enough chatting. Let’s get plotting!

    Thesis—or the World as It Currently Is

    Where we show our readers who the main character is, what’s lacking in the character’s life, and create that resonant bond between the reader and the hero.

    You need to establish a resonant connection to deliver on your story’s promises. The first three beats of Act 1—Opening Image, Theme, and Setup—are particularly      designed to do just that.

    Beat 1: Opening Image

    Beat 1 is a snapshot of the hero’s current life. You’ve heard the advice to start with action. A conflict reveals what’s wrong in their life, which captures the reader’s attention and builds resonant bonds. However, avoid so much action that the hero’s plight is lost beneath the action.

    Pro Tip: Imagine the ending and make your beginning the mirror opposite. If it ends with a happily ever after, then start the story with a breakup or with a character who can’t get a date.

    Plantser Tip: If you know the beginning and ending, you can happily draft knowing you’re heading in the right direction.

    Beat 2: Theme

    Beat 2 is “scheduled” for the 5% mark in a novel, but it’s very flexible. I like it during the first 10% of a book because it sets the tone for the character arc, but you can place it wherever makes sense to you—even at the beginning of Act 2. Later than that, however, and it loses its power.

    Imagine this beat as a conversation with your mom in which she says something wise and meaningful, but you brush it off because “she doesn’t understand.” The thing about moms, though, is that they usually do understand. You can substitute any kind of mentor/authority figure here. Deliver this advice or warning any way you see fit—a prayer, a song, a poem, an old wives’ tale. However it’s delivered, the hero needs to reject it, creating that resistance humans are so familiar with. By the end of the book, they’ll embrace the theme and grow—and perhaps inspire some positive change in your reader as well.

    Pro Tip: The theme is directly related to your character’s need. Knowing this need will help you craft the best rewards and punishments for your hero.

    Beat 3: Setup

    Beat 3 encapsulates up to 10% of the novel. Its purpose is to introduce the hero, the world, and hint at what’s wrong with the hero’s life. It reveals how the hero behaves at home, at work, and at play, which increases your opportunities to create resonance with your readers.

    Pro Tip: Don’t get hung up on “at home, at work, at play.” What’s important is to show how the hero’s problem affects their family relationships, their success at work (or school), and their friendships.

    Failing to establish these early beats is like trying to change a light bulb while standing on a cardboard box. You’re more likely to crash through the box than brighten your room.    

    -Ali Cross

    Examples of the Beats    

    In the opening scenes of The Hunger Games, Katniss struggles to do all the things under the worst circumstances. Poverty, oppression, and hopelessness are familiar conditions everyone fears. No wonder the book was so universally loved.

    In The Lion King, young Simba wants his father to teach him how to be a leader and a warrior, but his father never has time—another relatable problem. None of us have ever been lion cubs, but we’ve all experienced the sting of an absent or distracted parent.

    As we move into Beat 4, Catalyst, and Beat 5, Debate, we’ll be grateful we put hard work into those first three beats. I promise it’ll be worth it, whether you’re a Plotter or Pantser or something in between.

    See you next time as we explore “Fireballs, House Fires, and Other Disasters That Move You”—otherwise known as Catalyst, Debate, and Break into Act 2.

        

    A headshot of Ali Cross.

    Ali Cross

    Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.
    Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.