Save the Cat Breakdown Series - Break Into Act Two

In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the Debate and how it is a reaction scene to the Catalyst. It is where the protagonist debates what to do about the events in the Catalyst, and maybe even tries to solve it in line with their fear and misbelief. In this article, we end Act 1 and delve into the Break Into Act Two story beat.

What is the Break Into Act Two?

The Break Into Act Two (or just the Break Into Two) is sometimes called the Point of No Return. It’s where something happens that forces your protagonist to act. No matter what, they can no longer return to the way things were. Either they rise to the challenge presented by the Catalyst, or a disaster happens that forces them to act. It typically occurs at around the 20% mark, or at about 16,000 words in an 80,000 word novel and is usually only one or two scenes.

In Star Wars: A New Hope, it’s when Luke returns to the farm to find it burned to the ground, his aunt and uncle killed. No matter what he may want, he can’t go back to that life and pretend that nothing happened. He must act.

The Break Into Act Two is a pivot point, or the first major plot point. This is where shit gets real. This is where the true story begins, so to speak.

The Break Into Act Two in Disney’s Mulan

This is one of my favourite scenes in the movie (helped a lot by that epic music score). After seeing what the future will hold if Mulan does nothing, she decides that the only thing she can do to save her family is to take her father’s place.

The synthesiser picks up as a signal that Mulan has made a decision. She first goes to her family’s shrine to pray to the ancestors before taking her father’s commission and leaving her hair comb in its place so that her family will know where she has gone. She allows herself a brief moment to look fondly upon her sleeping parents before leaving them. This is why she is doing this: for the love of her family. She then takes her father’s sword and cuts her hair. The music swells in time with this, the audio cue for a pivotal moment. She ties her hair up, puts on her father’s armour and goes to take her family’s horse. The horse doesn’t recognise her at first, dressed as a man, silhouetted by the thunderstorm, but it soon calms beneath her touch. She leads it out and away, leaving to join the army.

The next scene has Mulan’s grandmother waking with a start and discovering that Mulan has gone. She goes to wake Mulan’s parents and, after seeing the hair comb, they begin to realise the truth. Her father hurries to check his armour, only to find it gone. He tries to chase after her, calling for her, only to stumble and fall in the mud. Her mother hurries to help her father.

“You must go after her. She could be killed!” her mother exclaims. Her father takes her mother’s hand to hold her back and says, “If I reveal her, she will be.”

This is the moment where the audience is informed that Mulan cannot go back to the way things were. If she is found out, she’ll be killed, so she has to press forward, no matter the cost.

The Break Into Act Two in Flewelling’s Luck In The Shadows

There’s no one scene that marks the entrance into Act Two in Luck in the Shadows, but if I had to choose a spot, I would say the start of Chapter 4, on page 45. Again, this is a little earlier than what Snyder suggests, at only approximately 9% rather than 20%. However, this is where Alec fully commits to his role as Seregil’s apprentice, so, even though it is sooner than suggested, it still works well. By having it a little earlier it allows the reader to get pulled into the action sooner and we can see how things are beginning to play out.

Chapter 4 is titled Wolde, and it has Seregil, as Aren Windover, a bard, and Alec as his new apprentice. They must act their parts and use their roles to gather information about some Plenimarans, enemy soldiers, that came to town.

“Mind the part I’ve given you,” he whispered, keeping his voice low. “From here on you’re the apprentice of Aren the bard. You’ve seen what he’s like; act accordingly. If I’m abrupt with you, or order you about like a servant, don’t be resentful—it’s Aren’s way, not mine. Frankly, I don’t envy your position. Ready?” Alec nodded. “Good. Then the act begins.” With that, Seregil stepped back and became Aren. p48

It’s too late now for Alec to go back to the way things were. He is committed to his role and must see it through to the end.

Final Thoughts

The Break into Act Two story beat is where the protagonist is no longer able to go back to the way things were. Their life has irrevocably changed and the only way left is forward. This is where Act 1—The Setup—ends and Act 2, the real meat of the story, begins.

Next, we jump fully into Act Two with the multi-scene story beat of Fun and Games. I hope you look forward to it!