Trough of Hell: How to Conclude Act Two of Your Screenplay with Maximum Impact

246 Pages·2014·1.17 MB·English

by  H.R. D'Costa

Trough of Hell
How to Conclude Act Two of Your
Screenplay with Maximum Impact
Kindle First Edition
H.R. D’Costa, Copyright 2014
Special thanks to Zoutedrop for the flame image; to Ryoichi Tsunekawa for the
Bebas font; and to Caroline Hadilaksono and Micah Rich for the League Gothic
font. You all are awesome!
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Introduction
Have you ever been stuck in the desert of Act Two?
If you’re like me, you know how your screenplay or novel is going to start.
Maybe not the exact image or line, but you’ve got a rough idea of what you’re
going to write. Same goes for the ending.
So, you begin writing your story with lots of enthusiasm…until you reach the
middle, aka Act Two. That’s where you get stuck. Suddenly, all of your
enthusiasm evaporates.
Blank pages are scary in general. But blank pages from Act Two are downright
terrifying.
There are two main ways to tackle this problem. One is to determine the
midpoint, the event at your script’s center which functions like a fulcrum, taking
your story into a new direction, and perhaps increasing the story stakes. While
the midpoint strategy is definitely useful, it’s a topic for another book.
The second solution is to focus on the events which end the second act—often
referred to as the “all is lost” moment. That’s what this screenwriting guide is all
about.
My high school track coach used to tell me to keep my gaze on the finish line;
for some reason, you run faster that way.
The same principle applies to Act Two. Once you’ve determined how it’s going
to end, it will be much, much easier for you to write.
Everything will fall into place. You’ll write more quickly, more effectively. And
the pages you write will be more engaging too.
What the “All Is Lost” Moment Is Really About
So what’s the key to creating the perfect “all is lost” moment? I’ll tell you right
here, right now for free: create a painful, emotionally charged series of scenes
which somehow brings the hero closer to his goal…even though, on the surface,
he appears to be the furthest from it.
Those three ingredients—pain, emotion, and paradox—are basically all you need
to create a second act ending which is effective and powerful. In short, one with
impact.
Combined, each of these elements re-engages audiences, right when their
interest is about to flag. That’s why it’s so important to get this plot point right.
Do this, and you’ll have audiences eating from the palm of your hand. Promise.
“All Is Lost” = Trough of Hell
There’s a reason I envision the “all is lost” moment as a trough of hell. It’s a
trough in the sense that it’s an emotional low point for your hero. The lower you
bring your hero, the deeper you dig his trough, the more impact it will have—
and the more you’ll engage audiences at this critical juncture.
This emotional intensity is generated by painful experiences—that’s where the
“hell” part comes in. It’s a reminder that this isn’t the time to “molly-cuddle”
your hero; this is the time to make him hurt.
(As for the paradoxical aspect, it’s implied. “Paradoxical trough of hell” is just
too wordy a term to use!)
Once you know how to craft a gripping trough of hell, you’ll be less likely to get
stuck in the desert of Act Two. Completing the middle of your story will become
far less terrifying.
You’ll be approaching your keyboard (or pad of paper) with anticipation instead
of dread. Sounds good, right?
At this point, you might be curious about specifics. We’ll address those next.
What This Book Will Teach You:
With this screenwriting guide, you’ll learn:

how to use four different pain types to inflict maximum damage to your
hero (and why you should)
three methods to make the trough of hell more emotionally intense—
without altering a single beat of the “all is lost” moment
how the hero seems to be the furthest away from his goal, when you and I
both know he’s about to accomplish it in 15 pages (give or take)
…and that’s just in Part I! You’ll also learn specific tips and strategies you can
implement right away, including:

seven common ways to end Act Two and how to overcome the unique
challenges each presents
how to enchant audiences by combining multiple trough types
the trick Peter Jackson used to increase the emotional weight of THE TWO
TOWERS
why the most effective way to hurt your hero—even in an action movie—
doesn’t involve blood, burns, or bruises
five different forms of betrayal you can use to split your heroes apart
how to use setups and payoffs to extricate your hero from dicey situations
(like capture and death)
the secret sauce to turning allies into foes (think Dr Nichols in THE
FUGITIVE)
what stuck out the most to Johnny Depp when filming THE CURSE OF
THE BLACK PEARL…and why it matters to you
the STAR WARS secret which will help you achieve galactic screenwriting
dominion
five cliché-free ways to show your hero’s post-trough distress
how to pace your story with panache
how to handle problems specific to thrillers, action movies, comedies, and
romantic comedies
Like Examples? Me Too!
I’m a big fan of learning by example. So I use plenty of them throughout this
book to illustrate my points. But sometimes examples just aren’t enough.
That’s why I’ve also included eight detailed case studies which should help you
implement all the hand-selected screenwriting tips I’m about to share.
Each movie in the case studies section was carefully chosen based on its
educational value and commercial success. I cover a variety of genres too. If
you’ve ever wondered how films as diverse as BRIDESMAIDS, THE
FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, OCEAN’S 11, and BRAVEHEART conquered
the end of Act Two, you’re about to find out.
But before we get to the juicy stuff, I need to address…
Caveats and Other Ephemera
Screenwriting Knowledge
This guide assumes that you have at least basic knowledge of screenwriting
principles and concepts. It doesn’t address screenplay formatting at all. The
focus here is on structure, primarily the trough of hell, (aka the “all is lost”
moment).
While other characters besides the hero often endure their own troughs, I, for the
most part, focus on the big kahuna. If you understand how to craft an effective
trough of hell for your hero and how that trough affects audiences, it should be
easy to apply this knowledge to your other characters.
Additionally, while the majority of screenplays end Act Two on a low point,
there are a few—not many, but some—which end on an emotional high point,
typically a false victory.
Although powerful, this kind of structure is rarely employed and is definitely not
the focus of this screenwriting guide. If your aim is to write a screenplay which
ends Act Two with a false victory, this book will probably still be helpful to you,
but perhaps not in the way you were anticipating.
Also keep in mind, this is just one way to approach screenplay structure. There
are certainly other successful perspectives. You need to pick the method which
helps YOU tell the best story.
Speaking of storytelling…
Can This Screenwriting Guide Help Novelists?
Sure! If the success of mega-author James Patterson is any indication, readers
enjoy novels whose plotting, pacing, and twists mirror those found in a
Hollywood blockbuster. The principles and examples contained in this guide can
help you craft a movie-style middle for your book which keeps your readers
turning the pages.
However, my references are made from the point of view of writing a
screenplay. Translation? You’ll have to decide how to apply these principles and
examples to the process of writing a novel. Since screenwriting and novel
writing are both forms of storytelling, it should be fairly simple!
Spoiler Alert
There are a bunch of spoilers in this book. There have to be. Otherwise, I
wouldn’t be able to show you how to craft clever surprises and plot twists of
your own. But since all of my examples are pulled from commercial and/or
critical hits (like TAKEN, IRON MAN, JERRY MAGUIRE, MISS
CONGENIALITY, MRS DOUBTFIRE, HARRY POTTER AND THE
PRISONER FROM AZKABAN, and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE
CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL), the odds are very high you’ve seen them
already.
And if you haven’t…what are you waiting for?
Notes on Style
I usually refer to the main character of a story as the hero. As a female, I’m very
much aware that movies also star kick-butt heroines too. But alternating between
hero and heroine sounded awkward and confusing, at least to me. So for the sake
of clarity, I’ve stuck to hero.
Finally, formatting an ebook can get complicated. To keep things simple, I’ve
put the titles of movies in “all caps” but used italics for book titles. If the
creative work I’m referring to happens to be both a book and a movie, (like THE
HUNGER GAMES or HARRY POTTER), I usually use all caps.
Okay, I think that covers everything. Are you ready to conquer Act Two…for
good? Then let’s get started!
Part I: The Three Key Characteristics of
the Trough of Hell
The trough of hell is a tricky little fellow to pin down. This is, in large part, due
to the fact that it’s usually comprised of a series of story events, rather than one
single incident.
But there are three key characteristics which unify this compilation of events,
making it easier for you to identify and analyze this essential plot beat:

it is painful
it is emotionally wrenching, and
it is paradoxical
Of these, the second is by far the most important. Achieve that, and your script
will be miles ahead of the competition.
Hopefully, by understanding these three characteristics, you will not only
conquer the mass of blank pages waiting for you at the end of Act Two, you will
also create a deeply engaging experience for audiences who have the pleasure of
accompanying your hero on his journey.
So, let’s get to it, shall we?
Key Characteristic #1: It’s Painful
It may seem counterintuitive, but one of the best things you can do to your hero
is to treat him cruelly. In the words of Kurt Vonnegut, “Be a sadist. No matter
how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to
them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.”
That’s great advice. Unfortunately, many storytellers—whether they’re
screenwriters or novelists—tend to ignore it. Instead, they dote on their hero.
They’re reluctant to put their hero in harm’s way, most likely because the hero is
usually the character whose essence and history most mirror their own
personality and experience.
You need to overcome that protective instinct.
As Hal Ackerman observes in Write Screenplays that Sell, “This goes against
our grain. We writers are mostly nice people. Generous of heart and spirit. When
we see a fellow human being in distress, our impulse is to give that person
consolation and solace. These are lovely human traits. But as writers, we must
jettison those annoyingly charitable traits and become brutal, unmoved by our
characters’ travails. We must not be so quick to reel them in from the cold, nor
so compassionate as to protect and nurture them and shield them from pain.
Rather, we want to expose them, bring them to the moment of their worst
nightmare at the worst possible time.”
That worst possible time? It’s at the end of your second act, during your hero’s
trough of hell. In all likelihood, your first set of ideas of how the hero’s trough
should unfold is probably the equivalent of a paper cut. You need to find a way
to turn it into a gaping wound (which is, needless to say, genre-appropriate).
And after that, try to figure out a way to throw salt on the wound. Unstinting
pain, that’s your primary order of business at this stage of your story. This is
why I’ve dubbed this plot point a trough of hell. The “hell” part is there to
remind you that THIS is the moment to put your hero through the wringer.
By being cruel to your hero, you’re being kind to audiences who’re expecting to
experience a roller coaster of emotions. The trough of hell is the “dip” which
makes your hero’s eventual ascent all the more powerful.
In practice, being cruel entails inflicting your hero with a combination of the
four types of pain discussed below:
Physical Pain
The most obvious way to hurt your hero is through physical injury. Prime
candidates include bruises, cuts, and burns. Depending on your story, poisoning
might even be an option.
In many movies, at the trough of hell, the villain (or one of his henchmen) will
overestimate the hero’s physical injuries to such an extent, he will leave,