With one last great pull, the Acolyte reaches the summit rim of an active volcano. Haggard and threadworn, the Acolyte's once brilliant white robe now a mottled mix of sand, mud, ash and blood hangs tattered off tired shoulders. At the Acolyte's feet lay the final circle and within lay the last and deadliest of the Five Plot Points, the lava and obsidian encrusted demon called; The Climax!
So you've done it! You whupped some real bad-asses to get this far. But now you've got the 'Big Boss' himself! The Climax/Conclusion unlike all the others has the greatest potential of outright destroying what was an engaging story. How many times have you seen a film where the end just killed it for you? Case in point; For me, "RAMBO II: FIRST BLOOD" is a classic example. The ending speech Stallone delivers was so awful it totally undid what was a good 'old-fashioned' senseless violence romp. I remember cracking up in the theater because it was so bad.
Now, that wasn't so much the writer's fault than the delivery of an actor, but you get the point. Endings make movies memorable or forgettable. You're script's climax has to be just that, 'the high-point' of the story. The Climax and conclusion are the very things that made all of the stuff that happened before worthwhile or all for nothing. Now, you don't have to 'punk out' by writing only 'Happy Endings'. Many times endings where 'Everybody Dies' can be powerful (i.e. "Bonnie & Clyde", "Chinese Connection" and "Dawn of the Dead".) Just remember, whether 'happy', 'unhappy' or 'open to interpretation' ("Shane") your Climax and Conclusion must be a logical transition from the rest of the story even if you have a 'surprise' ending. You're conclusion is the last impression you're script reader / audience will be left with. You want to make it memorable in a good way.
Well at last, with one final well-placed chop you finally cut the big boss in half! You've beaten the final baddie and have completed the final Act! Yet, for some reason the 'credits ain't rollin'. You check your outline and treatment and see all your plot points have been covered and you've resolved the loose ends... or have you? From the thick caustic smoke comes your final and most implacable opponent which has followed you through your trials unnoticed by you or your opponents! Like a gently whirling whisper of wind made of deadly multicolored smoke is she who 'hides in plain sight' and 'kills with but a caress'. Her name is, 'Plot Holes'!
Plot Holes is the insidious script killer in that you the writer so full of excitement and ideas fight your way through the obvious opponents, but forget key critical details along the way. These details build up and the more you've forgotten the more holes there will be in your plot and the more powerful the 'Mistress of Smoke' will be. Plot holes can cause a complete 'derailment' of your script's momentum because you'll have to go back and 'fill the holes' of how someone was here, when they shouldn't have been or somewhere else when they should have been here. There can and will be an endless number of combinations of plot holes and you'll have to find them all!
What makes 'Plot Holes' so insidious an opponent is that you the writer cannot defeat her alone. You will have to employ others to read your script and put fresh eyes on it. However, those 'fresh eyes' is Plot Hole's 'Kryptonite'. She will be less likely to hide from others as well as she hides from you. But once with the help of others you've bested the mighty Plot Holes and now you have become a 'Master of 3 Acts' yes? Nope. (insert maniacal laughter here)
No foolish one! You have only just begun. In order to become a 'Master of 3 Acts' you'll have to face you're sparring partners and the evil Plot Holes many more times. And, each time you do, you run the risk of them taking you down. However as each script you write, co-write, proofread, or just put fresh eyes on, you will gain mastery of your opponent's intentions and moves in addition to gaining a stronger ability to spot Plot Holes wherever she may hide. You'll never completely master them, for they will be waiting for you in different forms, in different genres, in both short and feature length scripts for long as you dare to raise a pen or wordprocessor in anger against them!
So if you truly wish to be a 'Master of 3 Acts', the path is long and will end only when you give it up. Welcome to the 'Endless Circle'! MUHUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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