4 act?

So there has been a fair deal of discussion about structure on this forum which has sparked my interest in this topic. Is there anyway to break down the 2nd act into 2 acts? The 1st act, I feel, is the easiest to conquer. I have come to understand that most writers have their struggles trudging through the 2nd act, so I ask again, how can the 2nd act be reinterpreted to make it easier (or appear easier I should say) for the writer to get through.
I read NSMs 15 sequence response which was truly enlightening. That was the closest thing I have come to in reevaluating the 2nd act.