Howdy Let’s wrap up the the broad outlining of I Was A Teenage Vampire today, by turning our attention to the third and final act.

But before we get there, I want to give you an update regarding yesterdays post about the difficult middle act. Remember how I mentioned that we need to stay open to ideas when our middle act is sketchy (and not rush to finish our story, resulting in a half-baked mess)?

Well, since yesterday’s post happened … epiphany!

I realized while looking over the mock-up cover art for IWATV, I saw the Vote For Carter button, and realized I needed to see things through Derek’s father’s eyes, and recount his perspective growing up as a teenage vampire during the turbulent 1970′s (how could I have forgot that part – it’s only on the title of the book?!?!).

All right. So now I feel better about moving forward with this middle act. When it’s right – it just clicks.

Now. The last act.

If the middle of IWATV is all about Derek and his father bonding tightly together, then the final act is all about Derek angrily rebelling against his father for convincing him to tell Body his dark secret (resulting in Body rejecting him at the end of act two).

Though Derek’s father is hurt, he also understands, and gives his son room to be angry with him.

Meanwhile, Derek is mortified that his one time secret is now public school gossip fodder. Naturally, Derek seeks out Body (who’s now hanging out with a new group of friends). But Body angrily denies he said anything to anybody.

Later that day, the bullying reaches a crescendo, and Derek is alone and isolated, feeling he’s hit the rocky bottom of his young life.

Finally, back at home, Derek seeks out his father for solace, but only finds his mother in the kitchen. She informs her son that his father is still out of town, but will be back soon. Derek retreats to his room in the hopes of simply burying himself under the covers with his I-Pod.

No such luck. This night is just getting rolling, because as soon as Derek reaches his room, he’s ransacked.

Derek’s father arrives back home, greets his wife still cooking in the kitchen. When he queries where everyone is at, his wife informs him that their oldest son is still at football practice, and Derek is upstairs in his room.

Derek’s father seeks out his youngest son, but doesn’t find Derek in his room. Just then, the doorbell rings downstairs. Derek’s father answers to find a frightened Body.

Body confesses that he and his new buddies set up Derek, but now they’re getting ready to hurt him.

Body and Derek’s father race off into the night to find Derek.

Now, I should tell you, I know how I want to end this clinching scene, but I don’t know if I really have the guts to go through with it.

Okay. This is how I feel it should go.

Derek’s father and Body reach a creek outside of town and find a gang of Derek’s schoolmates standing and taunting a limp figure lying motionless on the ground.

Derek’s father pushes the boys aside and rushes in to rescue his son, only to discover that the leader of this lynch mob is his oldest son (who was disgraced to learn that his little brother was a vampire).

Rising with his fallen son in his arms, Derek’s father carries his son’s body away (refusing to even look back at his oldest son).

The closing scene depicts Derek’s father sitting next to Derek’s body, almost like in a wake. But suddenly Derek awakens. Derek hugs his father, and wonders what happened to him.

“You suffered blunt force trauma to the head, and passed away a few hours later. But being a vampire has its advantages.”

Okay. There we go. I’m content with the overall outline, and the flow of action over three acts.

Obviously, at this point I still have a few loose ends to tie up. What about Derek’s felonious older brother? What happens to him? So we’re not finished yet.

But things feel pretty good.