Conscious incompetence is the stage where all learning takes place. In a story, Act Two is the phase where the protagonist learns the skill or belief they need in order to create a new status quo. They're still resisting the process somewhat, but Turning Point One made it clear that they have no choice.
Act Two is all about reaction. After Turning Point One, the character is going to have some kind of strong emotional response. If the turning point was a setback, they might express frustration. If it was a victory, they might celebrate. If it was accepting some kind of challenge, they'll probably dive into the fray with determination.
Depending on what the turning point entailed, the protagonist's reaction might have been expressed during those scenes. For example, if Turning Point One was the character's mother dying unexpectedly, they probably had a strong, immediate reaction when they found out. But in a lot of cases, the character must "come down" from the action of Turning Point One before they can really reflect on what it meant, and experience a strong emotional response (this dynamic is tied closely to Sequence Structure, which I examine in this post). So most of the time, the first scene I plot in Act Two is a scene that allows the character to react to the events of Turning Point One.
Another crucial ingredient of Act Two is the first Pinch Point. Traditionally, this comes right around the middle of Act Two, somewhere between the 35% and 40% mark of the overall story. The first Pinch Point is all about the antagonist, and it's your last chance to introduce one. If you don't have an antagonist by this point, you need to go back and re-work your story.
The purpose of the Pinch Point is to demonstrate the antagonist's ability to block the efforts of the protagonist. It can be another setback, a direct confrontation between hero and villain, or it can simply show the protagonist learning something about the antagonist. Because the antagonist advocates or represents the flawed status quo, this encounter will teach the protagonist something that affirms their state of conscious incompetence.
Another Act Two ingredient that is closely tied to conscious incompetence is the Argument For Transformation. At some point during Act Two, some character or event should demonstrate what needs to change.
This often takes the form of a sidekick or mentor figure bluntly telling the character they need to change their attitude. But at this point, the character isn't really listening. They hear this advice, or take the hint from whatever situation they're in, and file for later consideration. As yet, they have no reason to take it that seriously.
Another scene I like to use is James Scott Bell's Kick in the Shins scene, where the character receives some kind of setback immediately after Turning Point One. I think it's an optional scene; not every Turning Point One will allow a kick in the shins. But if your first turning point is a major victory, a kick in the shins can really up the ante.
No matter what happens in Act Two, make sure you show the protagonist learning--consciously or subconsciously--whatever they need to go through their transformation. Let them be stubborn, and let their stubbornness be met with frustration. And let it all lead up to a Midpoint that shows them taking control of the process.
Next, we'll look at that Midpoint.
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