# I've discovered that my story has no second quarter... Can anyone help?



## bjj8383 (Mar 6, 2012)

Throughout the outlining process, I've basically had the placeholder of "stuff happens" at this part of the book. Now that I need to find out what that stuff is, I'm having difficulty.

I believe my story has a solid first quarter. Every main event has a definite purpose that guides the narrative down a set path. I also believe I have a solid, exciting halftime event all worked out. Connecting the two is where I'm drawing a blank. 

My story is a sci-fi/fantasy action-adventure/mystery. The setting is remote wilderness; there are no jeeps, helicopters, or any other handy means of getting from place to place. We leave off, basically, with the characters finally all gathered together, having just found out where they need to go to solve their mystery. Now they need to get there... in a way that has meaning and is not _boring_.

At first, I tried cooking up some idea about the heroes having to find some pack animals to ride on in order to speed up their journey, (up until now, they've walked everywhere, and it's getting stale.) Then they would have to defeat some of the villain's henchmen they came across. But then I realized that these events didn't really have a meaningful purpose; I wasn't making the story flow, I was just cramming in space-filling scenes. If there's anything I hate in a fantasy book, like the Drizzt series, it's a bunch of fights and encounters that don't mean anything to the actual plot.

So then I decided that what this section of the book needs is something that raises the stakes a bit, something that will light a bit of a fire under the heroes' rumps and sit in the back of the reader's mind, something that makes walking from A to B not boring as hell. Trouble is... everything I come up with is terrible. I thought, maybe they are suddenly pursued by henchmen or monsters. But no, there are plenty of monsters in the second half of the book... Maybe something about the environment keeps them on their toes... But how cliched is something like, "by the way, we have to walk through the spider-infested lava fields now"?

So, in a nutshell, if you have any basic ideas or concepts about making the grunt-work part of a trek interesting or exciting, I'm all ears, and I'd be eternally grateful. Keep in mind that this is fantasy, so there's a chance I can work in anything off-the-wall. Thanks so much, in advance!


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## alanmt (Mar 6, 2012)

Skip the trekking - no day by day narrative. Just highlight certain bits of the journey that advance the plot.

Have either an environmental obstacle (cliff or raging river) or encounter (animals/monsters) written specifically to showcase the abilities and weaknesses of the characters

Have a false clues or a decoy place that looks like where they need to be but isn't

have a traitor in the party or someone everyone wonders might be one

love triangle tension


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## Cefor (Mar 7, 2012)

I agree with Alan, don't have a full account of how they reached their destination, it's rather unnecessary - but do highlight, like he suggested, some obstacles or events that occur which are exciting.

This group of heroes of yours can't be perfect - play their weaknesses against each other, generate conflict. Perhaps, if you're up for it, have one of them break off from the group due to an argument over how they should go about finishing their quest, or two of them, or three... etc. I also like the idea of a traitor, too. Have something happen which makes it absolutely clear there has to be a traitor in the group, which makes everyone paranoid and constantly alert - so they're blaming each other all of the time... only to find it was something unrelated, or that there was a traitor after all, but who we (the readers) least expect.

Have fun, and good luck!


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## TheFuhrer02 (Mar 7, 2012)

I also agree with alanmt. If nothing seems to be happening, make something happen. Point to a literal elephant in the room, this is called Chandler's Law. It states that "whenever you are in doubt, have a man come to the room with a gun in his hand," or, as a friend of mine termed it: have ninjas fall from the ceiling.

That environmental obstacle alanmt referred to has the most potential for me, because from there, you can easily deviate to the other three plots alanmt mentioned.

Having said that, hope you push through this small nit in your writing process and hopefully I can get to read it one day!


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## squidtender (Mar 7, 2012)

I read an interview with an author (forgive me, I can't remember his name), but he said that anytime he was stuck, he would make a bomb go off and that would pop him right out of being stuck. I've used this trick myself (just not bombs) and it really does help. 



bjj8383 said:


> At first, I tried cooking up some idea about the heroes having to find some pack animals to ride on in order to speed up their journey, (up until now, they've walked everywhere, and it's getting stale.) Then they would have to defeat some of the villain's henchmen they came across. But then I realized that these events didn't really have a meaningful purpose; I wasn't making the story flow, I was just cramming in space-filling scenes. If there's anything I hate in a fantasy book, like the Drizzt series, it's a bunch of fights and encounters that don't mean anything to the actual plot.



I know you want to avoid adding scenes that don't have anything to do with the plot, but keep in mind, scenes like this _can_ come in handy. You can use them to show the characters personalities, their strength and weaknesses, and depending on the type of story, you can even show their combat abilities. Like the old writers saying goes "don't tell me, _show_ me". Besides, if adding a bit of filler helps get you to the next scene, that's win-win in my book (pun intended). You can always change it in the rewrite


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## Robdemanc (Mar 7, 2012)

Maybe they could discover something along the way that casts a new dimension on their journey/mission/setting etc.


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## Terry D (Mar 7, 2012)

Illness?  Storms?

The discovery of some ancient, long forgotten mode of transportation?  Underground?

When in doubt, kill off a main character.


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## C.M. Aaron (Mar 7, 2012)

What tools, skills, allies, etc will they need to solve the problem at the end? Can you show the characters acquiring these tools, skills, weapons, etc in your second quarter?   C.M.


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## bjj8383 (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks for all of the thoughtful replies! I already have the beginning of a few ideas.


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## dreamer444 (Mar 8, 2012)

Often times i will just skip it (leaving the space to go back) and write what i do know i want to happen afterwards.  Sometime this exercise will suddenly contain information that will enable you to go back and fill that space in.  I don't write with an outline, i kinda just let it be what it becomes and this often enables me to have the "Ah Ha" moment i need to go back to what i couldn't figure out at the time


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## Newman (Mar 17, 2012)

bjj8383 said:


> So, in a nutshell, if you have any basic ideas or concepts about making the grunt-work part of a trek interesting or exciting, I'm all ears, and I'd be eternally grateful. Keep in mind that this is fantasy, so there's a chance I can work in anything off-the-wall. Thanks so much, in advance!



Sounds very much like the ROAD OF TRIALS stages of a story. Watch some of Kal Bashir's youtube videos - a bit hard to grasp if you don't know hero's journey, but the ROT stages involve being a fish out of water, meeting supernatural aids, setting limitations, engaging in trials where you acquire things, overcome limitations and so on. Plenty there to fill your pages.


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## Kyle R (Mar 18, 2012)

Newman said:


> Sounds very much like the ROAD OF TRIALS stages of a story. Watch some of Kal Bashir's youtube videos - a bit hard to grasp if you don't know hero's journey, but the ROT stages involve being a fish out of water, meeting supernatural aids, setting limitations, engaging in trials where you acquire things, overcome limitations and so on. Plenty there to fill your pages.



To clarify for the OP (or anyone else who is interested), Newman is referring loosely to the Monomyth Structure (aka the Hero's Journey, or the Quest Plot) in storytelling and screenwriting.

In general the first half of Act 2 (the "second quarter") is where the Hero finds himself in the upside-down version of the world he inhabited in Act One. The characters met here provide an alternative thematic argument to the perspective prevailing in the "ordinary world". ie:

Mr. Anderson is physically extracted from the Matrix and meets the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. He is now in the upside down version of the world from Act One, with characters who have different moral arguments and goals than the people he originally knew.

This is the section where we meet the new characters of this alternative world (or, companions on this new journey) and learn their individual traits and roles, before things begin to heat up with conflict from the opposition.

Hope any of that helps!


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## Newman (Mar 19, 2012)

KyleColorado said:


> To clarify for the OP (or anyone else who is interested), Newman is referring loosely to the Monomyth Structure (aka the Hero's Journey, or the Quest Plot) in storytelling and screenwriting.
> 
> In general the first half of Act 2 (the "second quarter") is where the Hero finds himself in the upside-down version of the world he inhabited in Act One. The characters met here provide an alternative thematic argument to the perspective prevailing in the "ordinary world". ie:
> 
> ...



Ah...but Kal Bashir's genius lies in identifying WHY you have to enter an "upside down world" (not how I would describe it, but not inaccurate either).

The best ideas come out of left field.


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## Kyle R (Mar 21, 2012)

I hadn't heard of Kal Bashir until you mentioned him.. Looking at his youtube videos, to me he's retreading on commonly known story structuring. Though he uses his own terms for it, and describes things in a circular format rather than a structured format, the ideas and even the stage reversals are not new or groundbreaking.

Which in itself isn't a bad thing. The more knowledge that's spread around about writing good stories, the better! However, a few red flags popped up for me:

1) It's hard, or near impossible, to locate his book, or any review of his book, for that matter.

2) You can only purchase his material from his website, and a rather exorbant (if you ask me) price of $199.00.

3) His method proclaims a 2000+ stage journey, or for the slimmer version, a 510 stage journey. And here I thought Todd Klick's "120 Story Beats" were already laughable and extraneous fluff.

If you have a lot of spending money that you're willing to shell out on an unreviewed book which is unavailable in print (in Amazon's case, it was removed, without explanation), that's fine. But it's not a reasonable option for many.

I am curious, though, if you found his book worth the cost?

The beginning of the Monomyth journey began, instructionally, with Joseph Campbell, and was later expounded upon in a more story-beat fashion by Christopher Vogler. Carol Pearson illuminated the six Jungian archetypes, which Larry Brooks identifies and reassigns as a four stage progression as one of his six core competencies of successful writing.. Beyond that we venture into screenwriting waters where the emphasis moves from understanding the _why _and _what_ into the _where_ and _how_.. the list too broad to mention, but starting with the original, of course, Syd Field. Still, were you to read all the authors mentioned here (I recommend starting with Larry Brooks for those new to the realm), you'd establish a great understanding of story structuring, while still paying less than the singular cost of Bashir's one book.

I will say, though, that I believe the best instruction is something you can ultimately remember and call upon while writing, without requiring a bulky companion guide. Are the 2000+ stages easy to remember? Or the 510 stages?

I have a lot of reservations about Kal Bashir because of the reasons stated. Though, I could be wrong, and perhaps he's reinvented the wheel! If so, my apologies.

I'm just naturally suspicious of people repackaging things and selling them off as their own (which is not to say that Bashir is doing this, but I _wonder_ if he is). Perhaps his skill lies in breaking down the process into easily understandable chunks?

Cheers


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## abuistrago (Mar 21, 2012)

The first thing that came to mind is them getting to wherever it is that they have to get to and discovering that what they are looking for isn't there anymore (I would imagine walking there would take a LONG time). You can fill it with how they gathered the information to discover where is it that they need to go now (they can be spys now!), although I really liked Terry D's idea of underground. That would be interesting.


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## riverdog (Mar 21, 2012)

Illness or injury...or both.  Perhaps they meet a witch that lies to them, turns them on each other before the hero can break the glamor.


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## Newman (Mar 21, 2012)

I bought his 2000+ version. I’m going to print business cards with his website URL and hand them out. That’s how much of a fan I am. So yes I think it's worth the price and it's worth taking the time to read.

You have to buy into the whole monostory argument.

And you have to already have the instinct that Campbell and Vogler are right but that they’re pretty basic, you’re dealing with a billion blind spots. I meet people all the time that hate Campbell and Vogler, which I think is nuts.

And you also have to already have the instinct that your story is going to have to hit certain markers. And you’re already always trying to figure out how to work your way between those markers. 

For me it was groundbreaking, like a curtain being lifted. I think it’s a seminal work. The revelation is that you’re always dealing with the same cycle and implementing the same set of functions (his word) again and again. Every story. Every one.

I know 2000 stages sounds horrendous, but it actually is not. He's got a video on his website answering that question.




KyleColorado said:


> The beginning of the Monomyth journey began, instructionally, with Joseph Campbell, and was later expounded upon in a more story-beat fashion by Christopher Vogler. Carol Pearson illuminated the six Jungian archetypes, which Larry Brooks identifies and reassigns as a four stage progression as one of his six core competencies of successful writing.. Beyond that we venture into screenwriting waters where the emphasis moves from understanding the why and what into the where and how.. the list too broad to mention, but starting with the original, of course, Syd Field. Still, were you to read all the authors mentioned here (I recommend starting with Larry Brooks for those new to the realm), you'd establish a great understanding of story structuring, while still paying less than the singular cost of Bashir's one book.



Look, i've read all of those and they're lacking.  The only two worth having IMO is Vogler and Campbell but they’re close to ineffectual. With them, there’s a lot of guesswork going on.




KyleColorado said:


> I'm just naturally suspicious of people repackaging things and selling them off as their own (which is not to say that Bashir is doing this, but I wonder if he is). Perhaps his skill lies in breaking down the process into easily understandable chunks?



He's uses some recognisable terms, comes up with lots of his own and replaces some broader ones with others. He’s not interested in repackaging. He’s interested in identifying the cycle. He’s interested in leaving markers as they are if they already exist, identifying others if they’re needed and identifying functions (his word) to work your way between them.


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## Onwards (Mar 5, 2013)

KAL BASHIR'S 2000+ STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY TRANSFORMATION / MONOMYTH REVIEW - IS THIS A SCAM?

I was just wondering if anyone else had bought this, done a review or had any experience dealing with this guy. He calls himself Kal Bashir on some of his sites and Kal Bishop on others but I think he's the same guy and on some he claims to be managment consultant but I can't find anything he has written screenplay wise.

Foolishly, I bought it recently because on his website and youtube videos he says "Our detailed deconstruction of hundreds of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters has revealed more than 2000 stages of the Hero's Journey that you need to know about..." He then lists all the films and gives you snippets of the detail for each films Hero's journey but warns it is not the full breakdown, which to get you need to buy his product for $199.

I was therefore expecting to find his list of films journeys broken down and in more detail similar to Chris Voglers and Stuart Voytillas excellent book "Myth & the Movies: Discovering the Myth Structure of 50 Unforgettable Films which has about 50 such detailed film breakdowns and costs about only $17 on Amazon.

But when I received Kal Bashir / Bishop's product it contained NONE - NOT ONE of the films Hero's Journeys from his website list broken down in full.

Naturally I emailed him to ask him where I would find them in his e-book and he said they weren't in it - I needed to buy them all individually - one film for $250 - each! And I have since read from another disgruntled buyer that these are only a few pages and very thin.

I said to him I felt his site and advertising was misleading and what I thought I was buying was not indeed what I received and requested my money back saying I would destroy his e-book. After refusing to respond to my emails he wrote back saying he didn't agree and basically, bad luck and as far as he was concerned he considered the case closed. Both Amex and PayPal have now started an investigation into his product and approach.

So is Bashir/Bishops product worth it? In my review absolutely not and his advertising is false so be warned. What you get is basically nothing more than a glorified e-book that is 480 odd pages with a lot of white space which makes it feel padded out. My guess is its more like a 100 page normal book. His sell on his website also mentions it has special "Worksheets that allows you to quickly extrapolate an idea into a step outline to a) see if it has traction b)... Blah blah blah..."
I couldn't see anything that comes close to what he describes or a specific worksheet unless he means the separate list of the HJ stages which he has retyped as nothing more than a list of the stage headings from his e-book. Another scam.

I hate writing reviews like this but in this small industry where we need to support each other to learn, break in and get anything sold and produced,  I hate it more to find someone so desperate for anyone's money and who obviously doesn't care about ripping off experienced, produced writers or young new ones starting out and keen to learn.


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## Robdemanc (Mar 5, 2013)

Yes it sounds like a scam.  Scams exist everywhere, in every business.  Just beware.  If the money you are asked to pay seems too high, and the promises they offer seem too fantastic then it is a scam.


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## Nickleby (Mar 5, 2013)

When I draw a blank about part of a story, I take a step backward. Did that blank space come about as part of an overall pattern that I've been meaning to fill in, or is it something that only needs fleshing out? In other words, did the pattern come first and leave a gap between two significant parts? In that case, the blank space may not be necessary at all.

I had a story with four parts. The four parts made up a definite pattern. After a while, though, the second part became less and less significant, and I struggled to find things for it. I took a step backward. The story actually worked better as a three parter, so the second part came out. Problem solved.

Maybe that won't work for you. Maybe it will. Good luck.


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## squidtender (Mar 10, 2013)

*Lets get back to the original topic, please*


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## Gamer_2k4 (Mar 10, 2013)

My favorite way of filling a gap in my story goes as follows:

"The group arrived at their destination several months later..."


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## Arcwood (Mar 11, 2013)

I suggest adding a conflict.
if you havent met many savges yet, perhaps now is a good time. Or a man wiht his family. INtroduce a new charcter of plot point you hadn't planned on and see how that broadens your opertunities coming around the next quarter.
conflict is key


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