Untitled - Index of - Free

come together, and be prepared for last minute changes.
We'll discuss a good way to fluidly prepare for each
Episode under the section titled 'Cue Cards', coming up
in this chapter.
Other Plot Turns
Besides the two basic Plot Turns mentioned above,
your plots may also contain many other Plot Turns of
varying size and importance. These will serve the pur­
pose of moving the plot forward and keeping the Actors on
their toes. These other Plot Turns are always key points
in your story where evidence will be discovered, new
characters will be introduced, or important actions will
occur. How many other Plot Turns should you have? As
many as you need to give substance to your plot. This
number is going to vary from story to story.
Remember to be fluid in your organization. This is
an interactive storytelling game. You have your plot, and
your Plot Turns to get through, but try not to put time
stamps on them. Your Plot Turns are only points in the
story. Leave it up to the Actors as to when, or if, you arrive
at them.
MIDPOINT
Halfway through Act II comes the Midpoint. The
Midpoint breaks the action of the confrontation into two
parts. Your story always moves forward towards some
definite goal. The Midpoint gives a place for the action to
go after Plot Turn I, and then to leap off from towards Plot
Tum II. Knowing the Midpoint is a tool. With it you have
a way to focus your plot into a specific line of action.
What is the Midpoint? What is this Scene that links
the first and second half of the confrontation? It's the
swing of the pendulum, the sudden realization, the turning
of the table. Confrontation always moves the action from
one state to another. For example, from being hunted to
becoming the hunter. From ignorance to realization. Or in
a tragedy, from the preparation of the trap to the slow
closing of the noose. The Midpoint is the Scene at which
a critical mass of action, or events, will cause a sudden
shift in the nature of the confrontation, from one state, and
towards the next. This is the Scene in which the detective
starts to get wise to the situation, in which the hero starts
to fight back, or in which the victim has taken the bait.
Example of the Midpoint
Returning to the story of the DEA drug bust, we'll
now tackle the Midpoint. This must be the point at which
the DEA team will discover how the drugs are being
shipped in, and conclusively identify the department store
owner as the ring leader. Now all they have to do is stop
the drug shipment, then use that evidence to nab the bad
guys. The first half of the confrontation will be taken up
with trying to unlock the mystery, and with finding out
who's responsible. The second half of the confrontation
will be taken up with the DEA's offensive, undoing the
drug ring, and forcing them into a position where they'll
have to take drastic actions. This sets up the story for Plot
Turn II, the abductions, and the eventual gunfight in the
department store.
The Midpoint of our DEA investigation will occur
during an award ceremony, in honor of the department
store owner, for his civic service to the community. The
Troupe has been tailing the store owner, and have made
their way to the ceremony. During the ceremony, they'll
notice that the dead convict's old girlfriend is now with Mr.
'Community Service'. That doesn't seem right. Here
suddenly is the missing connection. The drugs must be
coming in through this guy's stores. But how? Maybe the
Troupe can break into his offices and search through his
shipping records. Or, maybe the convict's old girlfriend
would be surprised to find out that her old flame was given
contaminated drugs by her new beau. Somehow, the
Troupe's going to find out about the stuffed animals
coming in from Central America, setting themselves up
for the second half of the confrontation.
THE PINCH
Once you've figured out the dramatic context of
each half of your confrontation, you can then provide the
content. The dramatic context holds the story in place,
while at the same time, moving it forward. All you need is
one key Scene to hold together each half of that context.
This key Scene is called the Pinch, and there are two, one
for each half of the confrontation. The Pinches become
the content of Act II. The Plot Turns define the beginning
and end of the confrontation. The Midpoint defines the
place at which the confrontation turns. The Pinches are
the confrontation. The Pinches tie your storyline together
and keep it on track. They 'pinch' the confrontation into a
single line of story development.
Ask yourself first what the context is for each half of
Act II, then decide upon the Scene that best captures that
dramatic need. These become Pinch I, and Pinch II,
respectively. You now have both Plot Turns, the Midpoint,
and both Pinches. Decide upon any other Scenes you
need to provide Information, or to explore character
possibilities, and you're done.
Example of Pinch I
The context of the first half of Act II is the mystery.
How and why did the burglary happen? The Troupe can
search out the dead convict's friends and try to get
information. Some of them may be scared, and willing to
give out a few clues before they're killed. Others may
Theatrlx- The Core Rules 131