How To Write a TEMPTATION MOMENT (Alternative to Disaster)
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- Äas pĹidĂĄn 28. 05. 2024
- Did you know there is an ALTERNATIVE to the "Disaster/Dark Moment" plot point in the 3 act story structure? I like to call it the Moment of Temptation...and it can be the most compelling way to lead your protagonist to their "aha" moment! In today's video I'm breaking down what the Moment of Temptation is, what makes it so memorable, and case-studying some stories that pull it off really well.
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đĽPREVIOUS VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES:
âśď¸ACT 1
THE HOOK â ⢠How to Write a Hook Fo...
THE INCITING INCIDENT â ⢠How to Write an INCITI...
INCITING INCIDENT CASE STUDY â ⢠INCITING INCIDENTS: Di...
THE 1ST PLOT POINT â ⢠How to Write the First...
THE 1ST PINCH POINT â ⢠How to Write a PINCH P...
âśď¸ACT 2
THE PRE-MIDPOINT REACTIONARY HERO â ⢠How to Write The MIDDL...
THE GAME-CHANGING MIDPOINT â ⢠How to Write a PLOT TW...
PLOT TWIST CASE STUDY â ⢠Thrillers VS Romance: ...
THE POST-MIDPOINT ACTION HERO â ⢠How to Write The SECON...
âśď¸ACT 3
DISASTER + DARK MOMENT â ⢠How To Write A DISASTE...
THE AHA MOMENT â ⢠The Most Important Par...
________________________________
â¨T I M E S T A M P S â¨
0:00 Introduction
1:18 What is The Temptation?
6:00 Case Study: Roman Holiday
7:50 Case Study: Baby Boom
9:27 Recap
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My name is Abbie Emmons I teach writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling, transforming their ideas into a masterpiece, and creating a lifestyle that makes their author dreams come true.
Story isnât about âwhat happensâ - itâs about how what happens affects and transforms the characters. I believe that there is an exact science (a recipe, if you will) behind a perfect story. And if you know what ingredients you need, you can create your own perfect story with ease and confidence. Thatâs what we talk about every week on this channel - and if itâs something youâre into, be sure to subscribe and join this community!
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Zuko in Avatar the last airbender... his arc is just perfect, the temptation is so strong that he falls for it but a few episodes later he realizes the truth and boom! Best character arc in the history of characters arcs â¤
Yes, that was epic! Zuko is one of the best examples of a redemptive villain.
I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THAT
Wouldnât that be considered a redemption arc? Iâm newer to writing but I constantly hear ppl refer to zuko transformation as âthe redemption arcâ
@@blueseaturtle6031 Yes, it is a redemption arc which is just a fancy way of saying the villain realized the error of their ways and stopped doing bad things. Literally being redeemed. It's a way of describing a character arc.
Disney's Tangled. Although I realize Eugene isn't the main character, I love his character arc. He went from selfish thief to sacrificing himself for the love of his life. When Rapunzel gives him his original goal (the crown), he gives it up to try and keep Rapunzel safe from the thugs he worked with. Of course, that backfires, but still. He tried and grew as a character. His goal then changed to saving Rapunzel, which he accomplishes at the cost of his own life.
Yes! My favorite.
Princess and the Frog; Tiana's wanted her own restaurant all her life and during the temptation moment Dr. Facilier offers her everything she's ever wanted (turn back human, her own restaurant) as long as she hands him the necklace that keeps the prince a frog. She realizes she loves the prince more than her initial goal.
Momo Chan Thatâs what I thought about when I heard this.
I watched that movie yesterday too đŠđ
I canât believe you didnât use Flynn/Eugene in Tangled as an example. You even used the words âsee the light.â đ
Another great example: Prince Zuko. His sister offers him everything that he ever wanted and he takes it... Only to realize he made the wrong choice.
I scrolled down to the comments to see how long it would take for someone to mention Prince Zuko and boom, first comment I see. I think his real temptation moment (as defined by this video) is when he is invited to a war meeting, something he was shown to desire from 'The Storm'. He was accepted by his father as a useful asset in the war like he had always wanted, but that war meeting made Zuko realise that he no longer wanted to help the Fire Nation take over the world. "During the meeting I was the perfect prince, but I wasn't me," and that led to his "Aha!" moment.
AAAAAAAAA I just finished book 2 (NO SPOILERS PLS) and OH MY LORD ZUKO I WANT TO SMACK YOU
But I also can't wait to see how it all works out :DD
Beauty and the Beast comes to mind for me. The Beast spends most of the movie getting Belle to fall in love with him and when he finally has the chance to break the spell, he lets her go. Why? Because he loves her. He realized that while he would be able to return to his human form, Belle would suffer more if she lost her father. Especially because of him. It's my favorite story and favorite temptation moment.
I loved the aha moment in Legally Blonde, when Warner tells Elle he loves her, and she rejects him.
Actually, now that I think about it, the real aha moment for Elle wad when she won the court case. I think it was at that moment her [life] goals changed. She did it without Warner, and suddenly gained true independence in thought and action.
@@kathyl6677 I agree and telling Warner what she did is just the Victory part of the 3rd act which is after the climactic confrontation I think
@@kathyl6677
That's the realization, and then the temptation is when she turns him down because she doesn't want him or need him anymore. She found something so much better. I think temptation is an opportunity to turn down their old desire and that will be proof that they've come to the realization. ^^
I think Cars offers a great example of a temptation moment combined with a disaster. Lightning McQueen finally gets to leave Radiator Springs and go to California, but he doesn't want to because he's realized the friends he's made in Radiator Springs are more important to him than the Piston Cup, and only goes because he has to.
oh my gods yes! i have watched that movie literally hundreds of times. it gets so much better n the climax when the king crashes during the race and he chooses to forfeit the game so what happens to doc doesn't happen to the king
Cars is my favorite Pixar movie because they play this so well. Not only is Lightning about to win the cup, but he has all of his new friends there with him, everyone supporting him, and he's EARNED it! He's worked hard, changed, realized that he can have what he's wanted the whole time... but he stops to help the car that reminded him of the car that helped him so much when it comes to racing and to just being a better person... er... car. >.> .>
Cars was the first example I thought of too! Last lap of the race, and he has the chance to win, and stops dead right in front of the finish line, lets Chick pass him, and then backs up to help The King instead. He could have won. He CHOSE to finish last. (And turned down the sponsorship he wanted. AND went back to Radiator Springs.)
Scarlet O'Hara in Gone With the Wind--she's spent the entire story pining after Ashley, and when Ashley' wife dies, it gives Scarlet the perfect opportunity to sweep in and be with Ashley. But, she realizes too late that she doesn't love Ashley after all. But, it's also too late to turn back to Rhett, who she DOES love. It's an aha moment that comes too late because she doesn' end up with anything she wanted--infuriating and tragic, yet so satisfying from a storytelling standpoint because we see such a detailed transformation in Scarlet over time. It really deserves a case study!
This helped alot! đ I'm writing a series where the protaganist gets bullied by the popular kid at school. The protaganist and his best friend plan to prank the bully in a school play in front of the whole school (and parents), but then he finds out that the popular kid has a diffifult relationship with his parents and really want to impress them. So when the day comes the protaganist decides not to go through with the prank. đĽ°đ
These videos have helped me SO MUCH with my novel - it has made me so much more excited to write and I feel more confident to do so!đ
I am experiencing the exact same thing from watching these videos. I look forward to bingeing on them every day!
This story beat works well with revenge driven storylines I think. Deciding that revenge is not worth it, even when they are so close to getting it. I love this idea!
That's what I'ma use it for
@@marichatfangirlfandom9690 same
One of my favorite temptation moments is in Mockingjay. There's a huge production for Katniss to finally kill President Snow. Her bow is poised and ready; the crowd is hushed...THE ARROW FLIES! -------OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED???!!! Haha, I love it, no matter how many times I watch that scene it is physically painful to watch her make that choice. Great work Abbie. The examples definitely do help. Stay safe!
Labyrinth did TWO great temptation scenes back-to-back: the Ballroom scene, though in much more visual splendor, was the more minor of the two. Does Sarah stay asleep, forget her goal, and dance with Jareth until the clock runs out or does she muster the strength to break through? The following scene in the "false reality" and the junkwoman challenge Sarah and gaslight her into "I'm dreaming" and abandoning her character development. She has grown enough to outgrow her childish tendencies and belongings, bringing the scenery crashing down.
Just want to share but one great example of this is 2019âs âKlausâ. Go watch if you havenât yet đ
I LOVE KLAUS SO MUCH OMG YESSS
Did you mean to say Nicklaus Mickelson?
LOKESH KOLHE no. itâs that Christmas movie âKlausâ
Abbie noticed me đĽş
Also Zuko is a great example
Great video! And perfect timing. My book âThe Gem of Portiaâ just went live today on Amazon. Sooo excited!!
Woohoooo!!!!!
Thank you so much! Wishing you all the best on your writing journey:)
My name is Portia đ
@@PortiaDDoesStyle wow, beautiful name. Hooray for your Mum, she saw many good things for you.
I'm writing a Novel with two protagonists. And I was able to create a very cool disaster for one of them but I couldn't do it for other and I thought maybe the flaw is in her character development or maybe my story only has one protagonist and she is just a side character. But this video solved my problem. I couldn't write an earned disaster for her because she didn't need it. She needed a temptation moment. Her character arc is clearly leading to one. Thank you Abbie for amazing content.
Haha weâre in the same boat! I have duel protagonists alternating pov and one I always planned on having a disaster/dark moment that would still affect the other character as well but not to the point of it being their ârock bottomâ so this temptation moment should be a nice alternative and interesting way to incorporate both options. Best of luck to you and your novel:)
Zuko and Wreck it Ralph both face the temptation and fall for it...only to have the aha moment later. Nice twist on this concept.
Never gonna forget that scene where Zuko comes back to Iroh's tent, I've never had so many happy cry moments with a show as I've had for ATLA and those two precious souls
For me, the best temptation moment in film is the last scene in "Casablanca," where Ilsa is willing to go with Rick, but Rick pushes her off to board the plane with Laszlo, thereby losing the love of his life and risking death at the hands of Renault (who, by the way, also transforms in that moment). Amazing scene!
Good one, neat mix of modern and classic in the comments
Hey Abbie! I would love to hear you talk about negative character arcs. This story structure breakdown has been super awesome to follow, but I'd love to learn more about an ending that hurts... While still being a good story.
Wow! Do I have some examples for That!
You must watch Man on Fire with Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning
Really do whatever you like, but I believe it is a perfect example of a story that hurts bit is such a good good story.
Others that spring to mind, Silence of the Lambs, Is it called the Shining? The I see dear people movie directed by M Knight shalamalon?
Maybe even a Lydia character arc. Her character got worse, not better. Only her circumstances improved
Now I wonder: Can the temptation and disaster ideas be effectively combined? If it works, it could be an excellent double punch.
@Taylor Rhodes Hmmm...I was thinking about that too. Maybe the disaster could just be the final, most difficult challenge to overcome, and the protagonist makes a huge sacrifice. Then, they could be at the thing theyâve also wanted....and turn it down. Then, they go back and try to undo the sacrifice (if they can), proving their transformation. I know that your comment was just a thought, but I guess I âm expanding it.
I would think so. A disaster happens and now the character is given a choice, a moment of temptation, to fix it but the wrong way based off of their fear/misbelif. I would say Zuko from Avatar: the Last Airbender goes through something like that.
So glad I'm not the only one with that idea: the disaster brings your protagonist to their knees, leaving them the most vulnerable; in that moment, the tempation lurks in, threatening to reverse your character's development except they turn it down, for no matter how shattered they are, their concept of happiness has changed....and that's where the aha moment comes by.
I personally really like the idea of the temptation moment going before, and instead of turning it down, the protagonist actually accepts it, and it leads to the disaster, the dark moment, and then the aha moment as they realize they've made the wrong decision, because in the end, they didn't want that thing anymore.
I feel like Mob Psycho 100 alternates between and combines these two ideas. It's character driven with a bunch of arcs over 3 series (the first series being a bit more about relationships) For 'Mob' temptation and greatest fear are intertwined, both relating back to himself. His choices fluctuate between emotional clarity, impulse and dissociation, and personal disasters come from being the greatest danger to himself and others.
As a cartoon it's visually in your face, wacky and deceptively simple at the same time, much like the story. The boyish 'kid with superpowers' setting potentially masks the excellent emotional storytelling, but it doesn't follow the typical action story setup of 'woohoo! POWER!' at all. It's very entertaining and sparks a lot of love for the characters.
I love the moment of temptation in movies. I also like when they do take the chance to have what they wanted, and then realize what a big mistake that was and have to fix everything they just broke by taking the opportunity.
I've never thought of this as a beat đ¤ I've always thought of it as a huge fall and then come up, but I actually really loove this temptation version on the way to their AHA MOMENT. Yaaass queen đ¸
I'm glad you offered this as an alternative to dark moment because for my protagonist, her life has already been a pretty dark moment. The temptation will suite my story better. I couldn't bring myself to destroy her any more than she already has been.
One great temptation moment that changed- was Dimitri from Anastasia. The whole time he wants to groom Anya into tricking the Empress that she is Anastasia to get a big money reward. He ends up falling for Anya before he discovers that it actually is the lost princess. By the time it all ends and he's able to collect the reward, he's come to realize that returning the rightful princess to her family, and that he cares about her enough to do so, was reward enough and didn't want the money anymore (tho he was tempted by it all the same).
Thanks for the great video. This point reminds me of the part in the book Outlander by Diana Gabaldon where Claire faces the opportunity to travel back through the stones to get back to Frank and realizes she really loves Jamie.
ZUKO!! It's a different situation since he starts out an antagonist, but that moment where he betrays Iroh and FINALLY goes back to the Fire Nation with his "honor" like he thought he always wanted is what ultimately leads to his own 'aha' moment where he realizes that it is his destiny to teach the Avatar firebending and help him bring balance to the world.
(Of course, I suppose it's different than what you were talking about here since Zuko actually ACCEPTS the "Temptation Moment" before realizing it's not what he truly wants, but it's similar enough.)
Oh my God, that's so incredible. Watching this video, I realised : this is exaclty what I did in my story, without realizing it was a thing, and I was doing it đ Guess I got lucky on this one đ
Another great example: The Adventures of Huck Finn. At one point, Huck finds that he could sell the slave Jim and get money and move on with his life. But... he's stuck because him and Jim had become best friends. Huck's upbringing has convinced him that sense he hasn't turned Jim in, he is therefore bad and will go to hell when he dies. But the best part in the whole book is where Huck thinks: "Well, I says to myself: 'I might as well just go to hell cause I cant just turn ol' Jim in." -Or something along that line. But I love Huckleberry and his story for this reason.
Another great video, Abbie!
Love the movie Baby Boom. I know some people became Diane Keaton fans with Annie Hall but Baby Boom was the movie that made me a life long fan.
In the story Iâve been working on, there are several moments that the MC makes awful decisions. He starts off as a normal high schooler with good friends. However, the planet gets invaded and his friends and family are taken out in the invasion. Heâs subjected to mining out the planets materials until he receives special orders to go down a specific path. He finds a bizarre liquid on the ground, but it explodes when he touches it. Embedding itself into his body and putting him into a 2-5 year long coma. (I havenât decided yet). Some stuff happens and he is abducted, and recruited into the rebellion against the emperor.
One of my favorite moments of temptation in a movie is from Cars. Lighting McQueen goes the entire movie talking about winning the Piston Cup and being the face Dinoco. At the he's so close to winning 1st place but after seeing The King wrecked, he forfeits all that to help him because it reminded him of Doc Hudson.
UP does a great job combining the disaster moment of the subjective story with the moment of temptation from the objective story.
Man, you're right!!
I immediately thought of Arcane when Silco is offered everything (he thought) he always wanted- the independent nation of Zaun, a âseat at the tableâ, the respect he desperately craved- in exchange for Jinx.. and then even when she literally fatally wounds him, he stills stands by his loyalty/choosing Jinx over his lifeâs ambition, his last words being âI never would have given you to them. Not for anything. Don't cry. You're perfect." :â)
âIs there anything so undoing as a daughter?â
The writers were really going right for the gut with that show.
Oh crap I'm too early đ
This sounds so interesting, can't wait to finish watching the vid â¤ď¸
I just did my outline today and I was thinking about this very plot device.
I want my character to have a temptation moment where he can finally go back home except he realize he doesn't want it like THIS and this will push him to his aha moment where he decides to fight back to achieve his goal but on HIS term.
Another great video Abbie:)
My favourite temptation moment gotta be from The Apartment! I mean this whole story leads to these two touching scene - first, when Bud Baxter leave his dream work and his boss, and then Fren Kubelik dumbs the very same guy and runs to Baxter´s place... I saw it so many times and it always gets me
My favorite film of all time!
A variation on the Aha theme: realizing the one thing you thought you needed, is not necessary at all. Furthermore, the goal was not even possible to achieve. The true solution is found in the one place we failed to look: within.
Down with love. She does all this for Catcher Block and the realises how her plan has freed so many women and given them power for the first time.
Love your videos girl! These help so much!!!
Watch your videos has definitely re-inspired to to pick up writing again and has taught me more than any English or Writing course Iâve ever taken. Thank you for such amazing and informative content!
I was about to say âwhatâs up, my friend!â With you when it got stuck đ¤Łđ¤Ł
Nice examples, Abbie!! I randomly watched Baby Boom last year (I'm not even sure why) but love that you pulled kind of an obscure title. Also, Roman Holiday is SUCH a fun classic. Both really illustrated your point beautifully - well done!
OMG Abbie! It's as if you were looking over my shoulder this morning. I'm working on a dual-protagonist plot - right now on a character whose arc is a hero's journey - and I am specifically at the point of (you guessed it) temptation. For me, this video solidified the plot line and, more importantly, pointed out the "rightness" of this arc. Thanks so much. Once again, you nailed it.
I get inspired watching your videos! I feel energetic and inspired, ready to write more! â¤â¤â¤
Thank you for this breakdown series. The only breakdown I've had in this past month is a mental breakdown, and I needed these videos
Great explanation! Thanks for breaking this story beat down.
This was awesome! Thanks Abbie!!!
tysm for this !! i needed a change of pace to get my brain working, and now i feel inspired to start a dozen new stories haha.
I'm really convinced. I wanna cry, the examples are so heart-touching although I only witnessed it now.
Out of all your videos, I felt the most relaxed watching this one ...I guess things are finally starting to stick in my mind. Thanks again. :3
Awesome!! Exactly what I needed. My book is COMPLETED!!! I've rewrite it, and now it is READY TO GET PUBLISHED!!! Thanks Abbie, you inspire me a lot!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!! THX Abbie
Your videos are brilliant! Youâve helped me soooo much.
Grazie Bella
Thank you for this series
I am ... going to use this! To improve and sharpen the story I'm in the middle of writing, right now! Thank you. (I also like the sanpaku eyes at the really intense moments.)
I just got through writing a temptation moment into my latest screenplay and didn't realize that is what I was doing. Thank you for your post it came at the perfect time.
Abbie i found your videos not to long ago, and i just want to say that your videos are inspiring.I am 20 years old and have autism.And while I have been wanting to do other things for a career, those other things haven't gone my way.But lately I have gone back to writing as a way to escape the world you, me and other's live in(like the current election in which I have no intrest in because of my politicly independent views).I am currently working on my first book (which is a novella) about a 18 year old male with autism who moves out of his adopted parents house in the suburbs and move into an apartment in the city hidden with supernatural being, three weeks after an museum robbery which led to an explosion.I really don't know what I want to do with my life, and I don't want to talk about how I feel to my family, friends or the people I know because I don't want my problems to bother them(And yes...my problems do bother them which is why I cage my problems inside and emotinaly lie to my family, friends and the people I know.)Some I feel like I will fail at life because of my autism(I disibility that I am proud of having)fail at finding a part time job and finding my first girlfriend,which will cause the people in my life to pity me and cage my in their bubble(which is the last thing I want)So I write and I write to seperate my self from this world and Into another, which is my I want to be a write and make a good amount of money to suport myself.I don't mean to make anyone who reads this feel weird when reading this, and I'm not trying to look for attention.But I thought I should get at least 10% of what I am feeling of my chest, to a channel I feel ok with.
I am cheering you on as you chase your dreams! Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
...yeah. Okay so that's a temptation moment. I had an idea for a story of a young guy who thinks he wants to be a rock star but turns out he doesn't.
So, that's how to write that! Thanks.
For me, the story that came up in my mind is Anastasia. Dmitri was supposed to scam Anya and the Queen by telling them that Anya is the lost Princess Anastasia, in order to get the reward money. As the story reaches Act 3 and both Anya and Dmitri grew closer and fell in love, he realizes that Anya was in fact the real Anastasia and wanted to re-unite her to the Queen. Everything went wrong because Anya misunderstood this and thought Dmitri was using her for the money (which was originally the plan) and got angry. However, Dmitri told the Queen he did not want the reward money and left after re-uniting the Queen and her granddaughter.
Also, thank you for this video. I got a hard time fitting my story in the Disaster - Dark Moment - Aha Moment outline and it turns out that it fits the temptation arc really well to get to the Aha Moment.
Love catching a WLW vid when I'm not "from the future"...that missing link feels like such a badge of honor.
I fully thought you meant wlw in a sapphic way
These videos have become a road map getting through the most high resistance parts of my writing and Iâm so relieved and grateful to have found them! Currently binging my way through your back catalogue, canât wait to see your future content!
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
omg I am soo exited! My Idea for the *temptation* fits perfectly in my plot. It's literally sooooo good :D Now I wanna write all day!
Hey Abbie, I'm a new subscriber and I'm loving your content, is helping me a lot, love from Brazil szsz
You're making creative writing fun, thank you :D
Devil's Advocate had a great temptation A-Ha moment.
Great stuff. Thanks. đ
Great video as always
Thanks for the lucid explanation. This moment of temptation can also initiate a pivotal point in the story in my humble opinion. I noticed in your choice- a very appropriate one to illustrate your point of view again IMHO ( I'm sure by now you can guess what the acronym stands for đ) The journalist could use his new self to succeed in areas where his old 'self-seeking' demeanor may not have ventured. The events of that day did extrude a muted side to his character which made him a genuine protagonist. He did wrest the limelight from the princess in the closing moments. That is just IMHO, Much appreciatedđđđ
God , thank you abbie ... THANK YOU
I was feeling kind of guilty for thinking about hurting Lucy... I just love her lol
I am sooo happyyy!
Awesome! Thank you.⨠Didn't know that one đŻđ
Manon black beaks journey really shows it perfectly
The Last Juror by John Grisham. super AHAâ¤ď¸
Old but gold.
I have no idea when I'll actually have the time to write... but these videos are so good đ
Thanks for uploading the video
Hi Abbie, Love this episode. I use this plot point in my story but was worried about the reader not being satisfied because through the whole story my MC (Main Character) has fought to obtain his goal and then at the end he refuses the goal. The truth of my theme has transformed my character into his essence and out of his persona. He grows and chooses what he needs and turns down what he wanted. That's the climax, but the story is not over. Because my MC chose his need instead of his want, he got what he wanted as well, ALL due to his decision to choose his need. Because of this episode, I feel good about my story and not dissatisfying my reader. Thanks.
Thanks so much for showing me this alternative beat ... For the story I am trying to write during NaNoWriMo this year, I already know the end, and my MC does not get what he wants at the end, and it's actually because he decides that he no longer wants that ... and I was having a really hard time trying to think how my story would move to have something similar to a disaster/dark moment flow before the climax.
And now I see that it's one or the other...
Also, this reminded me a lot about what Neil Gaiman says in his Masterclass "... characters always - for good or for evil - get what they need... they do NOT get what they want"
Anastasia is an other example; both, Anastasia and Dimitri get what they've always wanted; but turns out, they've changed...
came her to say Anastasia as well! when Dimitri doesn't take the money because he realized it's not what's important anymore
Soul, that makes a point of getting the protagonist to ACCEPT his temptation moment in order to understand the aha moment.
Just found your channel again. Love all the tips and advice, added a lot of information to my notes today, thank you.
Also, has anyone told you that you kind of look like Ashley Johnson's(VA/Actress) younger sister?
...and the sun came out just as you said that - synchronicity. A meaningful coincidence and a great album by The Police!
Ok ive just realized how to follow my story thanks to this video thank you đ
TANGLED! when flynn turns down the crown!!!
Excellent beat
This might sound weird but I like using Adam Sandler movies as road maps for the 3-act story structure. The reason they are so predictable is because of how precisely the beats are followed without being very inventive in how they are achieved. So for example, in The Wedding Singer, the Temptation Moment is when Robby's ex-fiance comes back to him, claiming she can "learn to deal" with the less-than-rockstar lifestyle he can offer her. He realizes he doesn't want the person who will merely tolerate his domestic and low-economic status, but the person who realizes his value as a person is greater than wealth.
An obscure example but a powerful one in my opinion is One Sunday Afternoon 1933, Gary Cooper is madly in love with Fay Wray but when she marries his friend instead he marries Frances Fuller, plainer and less sophisticated than Wray, and consequently pines for his "true love" when he gets a chance to be with Wray, he is tempted but in his aha moment sees the two women for who they really are, Wray is beautiful and sophisticated but also shallow and selfish while Fuller is kind devoted and self-sacrificing and he finally becomes the husband she deserves
I was surprised she didn't mention IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. She talks about it everywhere
I think that's a different plot point in that particular story. This is a option to the 3rd plot point: disaster, dark moment, Aha!
In one of my favorite books, âDefy the Nightâ, the main character, Tessa, learns about Prince Corrikâs real life and why he does what he does. She goes from hating him, to falling in love with him.
doc hollywood is my absolute favorite for this
I want you to comment on the movie "Into the Wild". There is a transformation moment when the protagonist realizes that the goal he has been chasing all this time was based on his misbelief. But it is near the very end when he writes "Happiness is only true when shared". Is this an example of a good story telling because I couldn't find it satisfying.
The concept of the characters getting what they want without a transformative experience is basically what happens in a DnD campaign lol
The Mirror Has Two Faces (the 1996 Barbra Streisand rom com) has a Moment of Temptation, too! In fact, watching that movie was the first time I realized a Moment of Temptation was an option in the 3-act structure.
I instantly thought of Tiana from Princess and the Frog đ my favorite Disney princess was offered by the villain a chance at everything she's dreamed of with a snap of his fingers, but she refuses, intent on saving her true love and finding her own way to happiness
Another great example is anastasia, dimitri thinks the only thing that can bring him happiness is money so he spends most of the movie trying to get the reward for returning to Anastasia with her family no matter who he is cheating, but falls in love with her slowly and when the Empress offers him the reward he can not accept him. Love it.
I immediately thought of Zuko from Avatar: the Last Airbender.
His arc sure took a while, but man was it amazing.
Zuko gets a chance to change for the better, but he gives in to his old ways and his misbelief continues to dominate... until he gets everything he's been after for the last couple years and he's not happy at all, but actually more angry and downtrodden than ever. So then he ditches everything to help the heroes and try to make up for all the bad he's done... which isn't easy because he's been hounding them for two whole seasons and contributed to an almost successful attempt on the main character's life.
Princess in the frog was the example I immediately thought of!
The Paper Chase is a famous example. But I found that a bit unsatisfying when I saw it at 20 years old. Might appreciate it more now.
The only thing that would be better about this series of videos would be if she had versions of them for book series.
What's everyone think about the protagonist taking the temptation but shortly after realizing they made the wrong choice? More or less effective than just refusing the temptation outright? Or just different?
I guess you have to be able to feel it is wrong, feel it in an embodied way. that gut response of 'I don't' like this'. For me that seems unlikely until you try it and really experience it as something different to what you thought it would be. But there might be enough previous experiences that are similar enough so that when added up that it would be clear as an embodied feeling of no or at least deep uncertainty before having to say yes