Act 2a: Part 2

Fulfill the premise by immersing the audience in the new world, where the out-of-place protagonist scores early wins, gains allies, faces obstacles, and experiences wonder—-delivering the fun and emotional rewards promised before the conflict darkens.

A story’s premise promises fun, suggesting entertaining passages, adventurous characters, captivating environments, and absorbing relationships to explore. Even stories that later become serious deliver this initial sense of fun and wonder.

For example, if a movie’s premise is about a world where people can take over another body, the audience expects to see the various implications, complications, and adventures that such a scenario would entail.

In Avatar, Jake Sully enters the jungle world of Pandora, to fall in love with a Na’vi woman who teaches him the ways of her people. Jake is challenged to earn the acceptance of Neytiri’s tribe. In the process of overcoming physical and mental trials required to earn the tribe’s respect, the audience experiences Pandora in a way that fulfills the promise made to them—that Jake will reveal what life on an alien world could be like. Through identification with Jake and Neytiri, the audience enjoys thrilling and emotionally rewarding experiences—the promised payoff. They imagine themselves riding the back of a flying banshees, swooping and hollering above the beautiful landscapes of a distant world. They are enthralled by the world of the story and its characters. Which is exactly the point of Part 2 or Act 2a, whichever you prefer call it.

The key things that tend to happen in Act 2a include:

The protagonist enters a new world, and initially feels out of place, and out of his comfort zone. The new world can be either a literal place, or a new role or situation. This change allows the audience to experience exciting new possibilities.
The protagonist begins to cope. After stumbling over initial obstacles, the hero makes small early wins, giving the audience a sense of fun and momentum. We enjoy seeing the hero begin to learn and stretch his abilities. The skills he learns now will be sorely needed later.
We meet allies who will support the protagonist, as well antagonistic forces. These obstacles create complications, even if the main obstacle or villain has not yet fully emerged.
Upbeat moments of fun, levity, and new relationships give the audience hope that the hero will succeed and accomplish the story goal. Make it seem that things might just work out great.
By the end of Act 2a, dark clouds start gathering. The hero’s good times don’t last, as tensions and stakes will rise in Act 2b (Part 3) leading into the main central conflict.

Still, Act 2a lets the audience enjoy the promise of the premise before matters get more serious. Remember, the premise of a story is whatever initially grabbed the audience’s attention. Your unique concept, interesting setting, specific conflict, or compelling situation set expectations in the audience’s mind about the kind of story that will unfold. To fulfill the promise of the premise, you must satisfy the audience’s initial interest by delivering a fully-formed story world.