Act 3 – An Overview

Pre-Climax – The Emotional Low Point in the Story

Climax – The Emotional High Point of the Story

Denouement – What Happens as a Result of the Climax

The Pre-Climax

The Antagonist Makes a Comeback

The Victory is Physically and Mentally Destructive for the Protagonist

This is Known as the Dark Night of the Soul

Take Away All Hope from Your Protagonist

How Dark Must the Dark Night Be?

Genre (e.g. Romance, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Fantasy)

Tone (e.g. Dramatic, Cozy, Romantic, Dark)

Character Arc (e.g. Positive, Negative, Flat)

Example: Lion King

Simba Battles Scar on a Mountaintop

Scar Nearly Kills Simba

Parallels the Scene of Mufasa’s Death

Example: Hunger Games

Katniss’ Friend Rue Dies

Katniss Reflects on What Happened

She Feels Like She Simply Can’t Go On