Story Structure #22: Act II, Stage 9: Seizing the Reward

We made it! Our Hero has survived the Ordeal, and is now ready to take possession of that which he has been seeking all along. How exciting!

Seizing the Reward

• Survival of Death – Big Deal!
• Taking possession of whatever hero was seeking – Seizing the Sword
  • Not passive – generally active, aggressive even
  • Sword is image of hero’s will, forged in fire, broken, remade, sharpened
  • Could also be Holy Grail, Ultimate Boon, Jewel, etc…
  • Elixer – secret to life and death – often needs to be stolen
• Celebration, rest, recuperation, refueling
  • Campfire-type scenes – gathering, reviewing, jokes, boasting
    • Nostalgia, remembrance
    • Catch breath (reader too)
    • Emotional, quieter moment (slowed from frantic pace)
  • Possible Love Scene (well-earned)
• Initiation – Act III is new beginning in new rank – new creature
  • Death sharpens perception of life
  • Seeing through deception, seeing clearly
  • Self-realization
  • Epiphany – realization of divinity – seeing the cure
• Conquest of death can create distortions instead of clarity (ego, etc)

More Ordeals ahead – back to quest!

A printable version, for your reference, can be found here: Stage 9: Seizing the Reward

To view a chronological listing of the posts in this series, continue below:

• Structure Series #1: First Things First, or Donald Maass Strikes Again (6/8/2015)
• Structure Series #2: Plotting for the Pantser (6/11/2015)
• Structure Series #3: To Begin… a Story Engineering overview (6/18/2015)
• Structure Series #4: Part One (6/24/2015)
• Structure Series #5: First Plot Point (7/1/2015)
• Structure Series #6: Part Two (and Pinch Point One) (7/5/2015)
• Structure Series #7: Midpoint (7/10/2015)
• Story Structure #8: Part Three (and Pinch Point Two) (7/15/2015)
• Story Structure #9: Second Plot Point (7/21/2015)
• Story Structure #10: Part Four (7/27/2015)
• Story Structure #11: Story Engineering Wrap-Up (8/16/2015)
• Story Structure #12: Introducing The Writer’s Journey (8/19/2015)
• Story Structure #13: The Writer’s Journey: The Archetypes and the Map (8/20/2015)
• Story Structure #14: Act I, Stage 1: The Ordinary World (8/21/2015)
• Story Structure #15: Act I, Stage 2: The Call to Adventure (8/22/2015)
• Story Structure #16: Act I, Stage 3: Refusal of the Call (8/23/2015)
• Story Structure #17: Act I, Stage 4: Meeting with the Mentor (8/24/2015)
• Story Structure #18: Act I, Stage 5: Crossing the First Threshold (8/25/2015)
• Story Structure #19: Act II, Stage 6: Tests, Allies, and Enemies (8/26/2015)
• Story Structure #20: Act II, Stage 7: Approach to the Inmost Cave (8/27/2015)
• Story Structure #21: Act II, Stage 8: The Ordeal (8/28/2015)
• Story Structure #22: Act II, Stage 9: Seizing the Reward (8/29/2015)
• Story Structure #23: Act III, Stage 10: The Road Back (8/30/2015)
• Story Structure #24: Act III, Stage 11: The Resurrection (8/31/2015)
• Story Structure #25: Act III, Stage 12: Return with the Elixer (9/1/2015)
• Story Structure #26: Wrap-Up (9/2/2015)