A common mistake early screenwriters make in their story structure is spending Act 2 waiting for Act 3.

But Act 2 isn't a bridge. It has purpose. It is necessary.

Act 2 is where the character earns the physical, emotional, and spiritual tools to answer the dramatic question to the audience's satisfaction.

It's where the transformation actually happens.

Once you embrace this, you move away from "what could happen?" to the far more helpful, "What NEEDS to happen."

This approach is not just more effective, it's a lot more fun, too.