Mariner Software Contour for Windows - Manual (Page 61)

Act II -- 14 YES-NOs 1 THROUGH 3
In these first three pairs of reversals of Act II, known as “Kick the Dog” in the Guide pane, several landmarks occur:
The hero gets help from allies and aides, often in the form of a mentor character.
The villain will be established as being not just bad but really bad. In the absence of a standard villain (such as in a
romantic comedy), the opposition to the heroʼs goal will be shown to be a very strong opposition.
The hero begins the learning process, actively pursuing what he or she thinks is needed to resolve the Central Ques-
tion while getting an insight into what will really be needed to resolve the Central Question. Generally, the hero will ei-
ther be oblivious or deny the validity of this insight.
The hero will meet with low-level opposition which he or she will struggle to barely overcome. These can be consid-
ered “training exercises” or “dry runs” for the skills and/or insights that the hero will really need.
The love story, comedic runner, or secondary story will begin in earnest.
Act II -- 14 YES-NOs 4 THROUGH 5
In these next two pairs of reversals of Act II, known as “Which Way is Up” in the Guide pane, several landmarks occur:
The hero continues to wander, learning with greater clarity what he or she needs to do to resolve the Central Question
while testing the waters with his or nascent abilities.
The obstacles increase in intensity.
The opposition to the hero becomes aware of the heroʼs existence (if the opposition wasnʼt already).
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