Third Acts are your race to the finish line. Everything has been setup and the final payoff(s) are coming in. Remember, your Third Act is buried in your First Act. You’ve raised a question about your Protagonist, placed an obstacle (the first of many) in his or her way, you’ve setup something that has to be resolved and usually has to be in such a way it is the final act by the Protagonist to signify their transformation.

Typically Third Acts are not more than 15 minutes long. (There are always exceptions to the rule). The event that sends the Second Act hurdling into the Third Act should be the emergence of the Protagonist overcoming his lowest point. The Final Action is taken by the Protagonist. Now it’s a race to the finish. The suspense, tension and drama are at the highest point here.

You often will expose the theme o f the story with this final act or redemption, resolution. How and why the Protagonist has acted tells us something about the character.
Your Third Act must do the following:

1) Resolve the central action line;
2) reveal the final image of the Protagonist: has he changed, into what? What is this new identity;
3) all that which is setup must be paid off.

Finally, the pace and tempo must be at its highest point here. The 3-Act structure is a building process of emotion and tension. Even with dramas and comedies, there is something going on. The Protagonist is heading towards this Third Act deliverance where the final decision is made and the action is resolved thereby allowing the theme of the story to be revealed.

Good luck and keep writing

Chris Wehner
www.4screenwriters.com

ScreenwritersUtopia is proud to announce with the coming year a new feature, “SU’s ScreenTalk” radio program broadcast via BlogTalkRadio with a potential audience of millions! Er, yeah right.

Devin (M.) Watson and myself (Chris) will be the show’s hosts, we will cover all sorts of topics related to screenwriting, movies, and Hollywood.

For those of you who do not know, Devin Martin Watson is a professional screenwriter with his first film TENEBROUS a.k.a “The Cursed” (the scum sucking producers changed the name) due to be released by Spring 2009.

As for myself, I am Chris Wehner and I am an author and professional screenwriter. Currently my screenplay, EL CAMINO, is in pre-production. Also my book, Screenwriting on the Internet: Researching, Writing & Selling Your Script on the Web was a Top Seller at The Writer’s Store.

Anyway, we will feature How To Tips, Marketing Advice, Share our Knowledge, and hold interviews with other professional screenwriters.

Our first show: 9pm MST (8pm LA time), January 14, 2009 will feature an Academy Award Nominee and much more!.

You can access the show via this link or by listening below >

Writing Your First Screenplay
This is an online class for beginner writers with no screenwriting experience, or no more than 1 screenplay completed.

Screenwriting 101
This is a class for writers wanting to brush up on the fundamentals. For four weeks you will interact and study under the guidance of your instructor to jumpstart your writing and hit the ground running.

Intensive Seminar Program > You Lost it in the Second Act
This is an 8-week program from start to finish and includes script evaluation (second act emphasis), rewriting, live instruction and training, and online readings. You will receive analysis, phone/chat (your choice) conference with instructor, and then have 4-6 weeks to perform rewrites all the while remaining in constant communication with instructor as you work on your script.

The 4TH Annual $50,000 Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays Announced!

Sponsored by The John Templeton Foundation, MOVIEGUDEÆ announces the 4th Annual Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays. The primary purpose of the prize is to further the influence of moral and spiritual values within the film and television industries. Set up to help inspire first-time and beginning screenwriters to produce compelling, entertaining and spiritually uplifting scripts, the winning scripts are read by top execs in addition to the monetary awards.

PRIZES: Grand Prize: $25,000 • 1st Runner Up: $15,000 • 2nd Runner Up: $10,000

DEADLINES: Oct. 27th, 2008 (Standard); December 1st, 2008 (Late)

For complete information please visit www.kairosprize.com

12 years of screenwriting has taught me some things that I want to share. I’ve made money as a screenwriter, columnist, and non-fiction writer. When I started all those years ago on the Internet as this “Schmuck with a keyboard” I never thought I would get as far as I did; though I still really never made it all the way….yet. So I feel like I am the perfect one to give you some advice. I am still one of you to an extent and still on the fringes trying to fight my way in.

1) PATIENCE – there is no way to overstate this important trait that you MUST develop if you ever wish to make money (as I have) as a screenwriter or any kind of writer, period. It took me 4 years to get an agent; another 2 years to lose the agent; 5 years to make money as a writer; 6 years to get my first option; 7 years to quit my day job; 10 years to get my first assignment; 10 years to make good money (once) as a writer; 12 years to realize that what I know is really not much.

2) CHARACTER – and I am not talking about the ones you create at midnight in the throws of a creative convergence. I’m talking about YOU! Your character as a person and your psyche. You have to learn to live with yourself no matter what ends up happening. On no less than 3 occasions I was convinced that I was going to have my movie made. Had funding & contract (if it weren’t for that cast approval thingy); had Deal Memos on 2 occasions and it all added up to only more frustrations. I gave up twice only to realize I love to write.

3) TALENT – Ok, I put this third as we all know there are a lot of marginally talented folks making lots of money in Hollywood. I think talent is right there with:

3a) CONTACTS – It’s a WHO you KNOW business. What was it I read recently? Oh yeah, only about 4 or 5 percent of Hollywood’s screenwriters get the top screenwriting gigs. They are the ones making all the money because they are the ones who have the contacts. Are you serious about making it as a writer? Well, you can start with the online stuff, independent route, and that can get your foot in the door. But ultimately, you have to go THERE…

4) BE A STUDENT – not in the take classes continually sense (though I do teach online at 4screenwriters.com and taking 1 or 2 can help :). But as you develop your craft you must always be reading, writing, and watching. Improve your craft (art) by always being on the KNOW. Watch movies, read screenplays and books, read those Hollywood insider mags and websites, and always be writing. (ABW).

5) COMMITMENT – This goes with Patience and Character, but we all know there have been lots of folks who succeeded without a lot of heart or commitment. But for us, you and me, we gotta have the heart to go on every stinking day.

6) THICK SKIN – I have had some of my writing literally thrown away in front of me. I have had my ability as a writer questioned (and maybe rightfully so). You have to be able to take constructive criticism, that’s a no-brainier. It’s that egomaniac, bug-eyed, red-faced producer who froths at the mouth when they don’t get what they want though they can’t communicate what it is they really do want. And when they start spitting trying to sputter out their contempt for you…. Ah, Joy.

7) USE THE INTERNET WISELY – there’s a lot out here that can help you, use it. It can be your foot in the door. But don’t let it become your crutch. Sometimes, a lot of times, just reach under that desk and pull the plug. Grab a notebook and a pencil and go outside and:

LIVE LIFE – you will become a better screenwriter if you get out of that apartment, duplex, condo, whatever, and go out and smell the flowers or the dogshit. You need to experience life in order to fill that well of knowledge, emotions, and experiences that you can tap into and use in your writing. It takes more than creativity or imagination to be a writer. It requires that you hurt a little, bleed some, and heal over time. It requires that you live a little…

9) YOUR CHARACTERS – Ok I have to mention the actual craft and art that is screenwriting. What I have learned? Well, it’s not so much about gimmicks or hooks, though they are important in certain respects, but at the end of the day can you write great characters? Can you write the kind of characters that rapture your audience (reader) and make them forget what is around them? Craft them well, make them real; not too real as they are after all supposed to be a little better (or worse) than the rest of us.

10) GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO GIVE UP – so long as it is only temporary.

Take a class from Chris: >>>> Click Here.

Cheers!

Chris

Now Accepting Entries!

StoryPros 2nd Annual International Screenplay Contest

http://www.storypros.com/08IntlContest.html

Over $11,000 in CASH & PRIZES plus invaluable promotion to over 3,000 entertainment professionals! Our winners get read! Most of our last contest’s winners had multiple requests for their screenplays by major Hollywood production companies and managers.

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- Also one of the highest rated contests on Moviebytes.com.

· GRAND PRIZE – Over $3,400 in Cash and Prizes
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All winners receive a CASH PRIZE as well as software and services from the sponsors listed below.

Sponsors include: Inktip.com, Movie Magic Screenwriter, Writer’s Boot Camp, Truby Writer’s Studio, Movie Outline software, Writer Guard, Screenplay Format Guide, Great Dialogue Software, The Film Connection, Supernotecard for Screenwriting Software.

Need more reasons to enter?

§ Low entry fees! Enter before Sept. 30th for only $30!
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Early Deadline: Sept. 20th, 2008
Regular Deadline: Oct. 31st, 2008
Final Deadline: Nov. 30th, 2008

CLICH HERE for complete contest details or to ENTER NOW: http://www.storypros.com/08IntlContest.html

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