Write Your Novel Step by Step (126)

Man Made follows a mysterious force as it sweeps around the globe erasing anything man made - from buildings, vehicles, and technology to medicines, clothing, and dental work.

Governments stagger under the panic, religions are at a loss for an explanation, scientists strive for any means to stop or divert the phenomenon, and the world’s population from families to individuals struggle to prepare for The Event, which will drive humanity back beyond the stone age.

The Event is coming.

Are you prepared?

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~ Step 126 ~

Extending Counterpoint – Act Two

As with the message issue, your readers’ assessment of the counterpoint's value is determined by repeated exposure. In act two, you might choose to simply re-affirm the value the counterpoint had in act one. Or, you could contrast that value or double up to raise it to the next level.

Consider what you have already done on the message issue side of the equation. You are not only concerned with the counterpoint by itself, but what its ultimate relative value is when compared to the message issue.

Although showing both the good and bad aspects of each side of the emotional argument helps create a subtle statement, you need to be careful not to become so subtle that you say nothing at all.

So make each illustration of your counterpoint clearly, and let the subtlety come from contrasting exposures, rather than a series of unclear examples.

From the illustrations and scenarios you have already developed in the Exposition Stage, select for act two the instances that will contribute to your thematic counterpoint and give it additional depth and meaning.