plotting/character questions

Is this a play or a novel? I don't know very much about writing the "acts" of a play.

Is the character's life-changing incident the crux of a story that continues to develop afterward? Or is the incident the climax of your story? If it's the former, you should put it early-ish in the story because you still have lots more story to tell. If it's the latter, it should be close to the end because readers don't typically like a lot of extra wrap-up stuff at the end of the story, post-climax.

If you have a character do an about-face type of change in response to a single incident, it may be a very short book, and may even create problems with reader acceptance. I assume this incident that changes him/her is the culmination of a series of conflicts that prime the character for that change. Also, theme is not plot, so where you place the incident is dependent upon where it fits best in the plot and subplots. In other words, I don't think we have enough information to make helpful comments. Others may disagree.

One thing I'd suggest, though, is that you write this book as if there will not be other books in the series. Don't hold back anything that is within your story arc just to fuel additional volumes. Make this one a true stand alone. One thing is guaranteed--there will be no additional stories in the series if this first one doesn't knock the socks off of agents, editors, and readers.

May all of your readers be sockless.

But I am not sure to put this important event closer to the end of act 2(2/3 of the way to the end) or to the end of act 3. I suppose it depends if I want to show more of the new him or more of the old him.

Click to expand...

Are you an outliner? I'm guessing yes, based your second question.

Are writing currently writing the work now, or in the process of outlining it? If you're still outlining, perhaps you need to get more involved in the story first. Start writing, working through the parts of the outline you've got (don't be wary of change in the meantime) and the conflict you're working on should settle itself. When the story needs that event to happen, it will let you know.

Does that make sense? Unfortunately I can't help you out much with the second part, as I don't outline characters myself.

I think Neurofizz's advice is very important - about series writing. You say this is the first of a series, but you need to realize there's a chance no one will get to see #2 or #3, so your first needs to be a stand-alone, with potential to advance.

It is very nearly next to impossible for a first time writer to sell a series. But if the first one stands alone, and sells, there's a place for the follow-ups. So with that in mind - realizing you'll have to resolve all major conflict in the first story - does that help your outline of when and where this change should occur?

I would also ask how far into the first story are you? Can you feel your character? Do you know him better than anyone else could? That should tell you how he will react to outside influences, what pace his changes would occur and how they'll take place. Once you know him that well, the rest will feel natural, too.

pretty skimpy

silentpoet

that's not much to go on. it sounds like an act II thing. i would tend to put that in the middle and deal with what direct action the character takes (as a result of the incident which changes him/her) in act III.

this may not hold for your work because it is part of a trilogy - but that shouldn't make a difference.

like i said, though, it's not a lot to go on

zilla
mb

silentpoet said:

But I am not sure to put this important event closer to the end of act 2(2/3 of the way to the end) or to the end of act 3. I suppose it depends if I want to show more of the new him or more of the old him.

Click to expand...

I would agree with this, and say it also depends what structural role you want the change to fulfill: be the climax itself, be the last change which makes the climax possible, be the reversal which finally allows direct progress toward the climax to begin after trying to go in the wrong direction for a long time, or you could put it even earlier if you regarded the change as the start of the real story and his initial state as just set-up.