Save The Cat! story structure • Beats 5 & 6

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Beats 5 and 6 are:

  • Debate
  • Break Into Two (Choosing Act Two)

These two beats close out Act One, and shift the whole vibe of the story once they’re complete. Of the two, I feel ‘Break Into Two’ is more important.

To see the full list of Beats and learn more about Save The Cat!, check out the intro post to this series.

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Beat 5: Debate

After your protagonist experiences the Catalyst, they’re usually not ready to lean into the ‘new world.’ Their ‘old world’ has a powerful status quo hold over them. The Catalyst has opened a door to a path well outside their comfort zone, and you should know from experience that stepping outside the Comfort Zone is, well, uncomfortable.

The Debate Beat revolves around the conflict the protagonist deals with as a result of the Catalyst. It can help humanize your protagonist—it’s a little odd when a character just accepts a hard plot point and continues on their merry way.
 

Beat 6: Break Into Two

This one is also called ‘Choosing Act Two.’ I think I prefer this adaptation to the name, because it reminds you to make it an active choice.

That choice is born by the protagonist. If it’s anyone other than the protagonist who shoves them across the line and into the New World, then you’re risking creating the dreaded passive protagonist. (Give that term a Google if you want to learn more about why passive protagonists oare no bueno).

This critical choice of ‘Choosing Act Two’ has a few components to explore:
 

It is the response to Beat 4: Catalyst

Something interesting and world-challenging landed in front of your protagonist. They probably felt quite uncomfortable about it, and took some time to consider things (Beat 5).
 

The choice should stem from a key motivation

There’s something missing in your protagonist’s life. Beats 1 through 3 usually set this up. The protagonist might know what this thing is, or it might be too systemic or ethereal or subconscious for them to articulate. But it’s something(s). This desire to fix that [missing feeling] should tie into why they make the choice.
 

Act Two is the antithesis of Act One

When the protagonist makes this choice, they leave ‘The Old World’ behind in some sense, and start to explore and experience a brand New World. Many things about the New World challenge their worldview, expectations, etc.

These challenges are key to driving the plot through both conflict and character development.

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Quick examples

Here are three short examples to illustrate this transition to Act Two, using varying degrees of subtlety.
 

Unsubtle

  • 🌅 Set-up: A famous space pilot has grown bored with fame and wants to fight again
  • 💥 Catalyst: An alien envoy offers her a job as an anonymous mercancy in a secret war
  • 🤔 Debate: She fought so long for peace… is it right to meddle in the wars of other species?
  • Choosing Act Two: She abandons her squadron during a space battle re-enactment, effectively faking her death, and joins the aliens as their new secret weapon
     

Sorta subtle

  • 🌅 Set-up: A lonely detective who refuses to take on missing persons cases
  • 💥 Catalyst: Someone reports the detective herself as missing
  • 🤔 Debate: The detective refuses to take it seriously, it doesn’t make sense, she isn’t missing!
  • Choosing Act Two: After it becomes apparent that no one now recognizes her, she rolls up her sleeves and starts with investigating the person who reported her missing
     

Subtle

  • 🌅 Set-up: A shy person with a rare disease feels they deserve to be alone in the world
  • 💥 Catalyst: This person falls in love—with their doctor's significant other
  • 🤔 Debate: The protagonist weighs the idea of using their disease to as a way to get closer to the love interest
  • Choosing Act Two: During a symptomatic episode, the protagonist exaggerates its severity to initiate a visit with the doctor…

 
In each example, hopefully it’s clear how a motivation from Set Up inspires a Choice in response to a Catalyst, regardless of how subtle the scenario is. Act Two's premise is a mirror to the Set Up.

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Once you’re in Act Two, you’re in the meat of the story. The Middle. Most of the stuff happens here, words wise. Act Two is fun times, if you’ve got a good premise cooking! The next few posts will go over Act Two’s beats.

 
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