This is the first beat of Act 1 and it serves as a "before" snapshot of your main character.
Opening Image
Fixed Income: When the main character gets his job at McDonalds he is surprised that...
many of his coworkers have college degrees.
What is the main character's name?
Koja
How do you indicate a time jump in a story?
***
OR
A larger paragraph break
Does Mr. Shah have a wedding ring?
No
The hero must prove that they really have learned the theme and have transformed.
Finale
Sell empty aluminum beer cans
What is notable about Koja's looks? (2 details)
He's a tiny runt with a patchy coat.
Mr. Shah looked outside. "It's a beautiful day."
What writing tool is: "Mr. Shah looked outside."?
Action tag
What is Mr. Shah’s favorite form of transportation?
Walking
This moment is the lowest point of the novel. It's an action beat where something happens to the hero that, combined with their internal bad guys, pushes the hero to rock bottom.
All Is Lost
pay for an SAT prep course
How does Koja escape from Ivan Gostov the bear?
He makes a deal with fleas and the fleas bite Ivan Gostov
What 2 things should an author accomplish in the first 100 words.
1) Establish conflict
2) Cultivate character empathy
Which of the following is not 1 of Mr. Shah's favorite hobbies?
a) Playing NBA 2K
b) Hiking
c) Playing board games
d) Playing basketball
e) Cooking
a) Playing NBA 2K
It's usually presented in the form of a question (such as "Should I go?" or "What do I do?"). The purpose of this beat is to show the hero's reluctance to change.
Debate
Honor Society: What word best describes how the character feels about going to college?
Conflicted
How does Koja plan to defeat Lev Jurek?
His plan is to remove the leather pouch, then Jurek won't be able to hunt silently
Italics serve many purposes in creative writing. Identify 3 uses for italics.
1) Internal Dialogue
2) Texting
3) Sounds
4) Emphasis
What is 1 type of fruit that Mr. Shah has grown before? (Tomatoes don't count)
Acceptable answers: apples, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, figs, kiwis, raspberries, watermelon
This is another reaction beat where the hero takes time to process everything that's happened thus far.
Dark Night Of The Soul
Valediction: What do John and Peter tell each other at the end of the story?
"You aren't who I thought you were."
Sofiya ends up being the villain in this story. What literary technique is this an example of?
Plot Twist
How do you indicate an interruption of thought or dialogue in writing?
Em Dash (-)
What is Mr. Shah’s favorite thing to drink?
Water