Oh, Boy…:

The “Action Lesson” scene is where the protagonist attempts something, it goes horribly wrong, and they must then learn where they went wrong.

The mentor character is usually the only one who can teach them this. It is the most direct a mentor can usually be when it comes to espousing the book’s themes and the truth, especially when it is merely the mentor sharing wisdom rather than them acting.

An Explanation:

These scenes typically work best when failure is an emotional experience for the protagonist, and that failure allows them to believe, accept, or understand a Truth that they could not before, rather than it being a case of them just not having heard.

Note:

Relying on these scenes too much can come across as heavy-handed.

Do you recognize when you are being heavy-handed with a beat? Let’s discuss it. Drop me a comment below.