Creating the Downward Spiral

Let’s expand on the elements that create the Act II: Part 2 Downward Spiral.

First, why do I keep saying this third quarter of the story is so dark?

I’ll say it flat out: it’s partly just emotional manipulation. A victory always bigger if it’s snatched from the jaws of defeat. Take your character(s) down to the depths of confusion and despair (in Act II:2) and it is so much more exhilarating to see them get that sudden clarity and go for the big win (in the Act III Final Battle). Manipulation is what we do as writers. It works!But an important thing to keep in mind is that “dark” isn’t necessarily a bad thing. All of the bright, daylight actions of the first half of your story haven’t gotten your hero/ine what they truly want, right? So in Act II: 2 it’s time for them to go within, to find answers in their past, in their subconscious, in their own failings, in the wounds that have held them back.

Joseph Campbell, the great mythologist who inspired all of Hollywood (and now all of us!) to examine the mythic journey, says it best:

“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life.”

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

Here are some scenes we tend to see in Act II:2 that create that dynamic.