Why "Third-Act Breakups" Aren't What You Think...

It seems that lately, everyone has been on the 'I-Hate-Third-Act-Breakups' bandwagon. I’ve spent the last few months trying to figure out why. And what I realized is that there is no such thing as a third-act break-up.

At least not in traditional story theory.

Now, before you stop reading, thinking this is some academic diatribe about why current stories suck, let me say that the feeling of disappointment readers get when there is an unnecessary break-up between characters at that 75% mark is real. And it comes because it shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

You see, in traditional storytelling, there are certain things that humans like to see in order for a story to feel compelling and for the ending to feel satisfying. First, there is the Normal World, what life is like before your story really begins. And then there is the Call to Adventure, which the protagonist will at first deny, but eventually accepts at the 25% mark. Then they spend the second quarter of the story being confronted with this new world and, with it, the fact that they have believed a lie about themselves or the world that no longer works in this New Adventure World. At the halfway mark, they begin to try out this new truth and spend the third quarter seeing if it fits.

At the 75% mark, where the "Third Act Breakup” usually happens, is when they reject this new truth and try to go back to their old Normal World. They then realize that they can no longer go back to believing that old lie, now that they have been on their adventure. So, they grieve for that old world and then commit to the New Truth and seek to live in their New Normal World while living in alignment with their new truth.

In a romance, the desire to go back to their Old Normal World in full rejection of the New Truth often causes a break up of the couple. It became so common to see a couple break-up at this moment that storytellers began to conflate the break-up with what had to happen at the 75% mark, so they began to write a breakup there. They had to make it make sense, so they created some pretty convoluted reasons to make that happen. And readers could tell that it wasn’t satisfying. So, they began to hate the Third Act Breakup because it didn’t feel authentic. And that’s because it wasn’t authentic.

So many contemporary romances that I've read lately have forgotten that stories should be about characters going on a Hero’s Journey. That they are discovering things about themselves and the world around them, things they have mistakenly believed were true but actually hurt them to believe. And so these stories have just become about a Meet Cute, some RomCom hijinks, a big kiss, and then a breakup.

When a romance, or any story really, is about people learning and growing and discovering that lie that won’t work for them anymore, that breakup becomes real, driven by their fear of embracing a new truth. The Dark Night of the Soul that comes after the breakup isn’t just about losing a relationship, but the reckoning that comes with discovering that something you believed about yourself or the world isn’t true and never has been. And, even more than that, has been hurting you and those around you for as long as you can remember.

This realization then lends more power to the moment and makes the couple’s reconnection so much more valuable and life affirming. It becomes about a universal truth that we can walk away from the story and apply it to our own lives.

In all of my stories, I have a Third-Act Breakup, but each time, they are driven by both characters discovering the lie they each believed was just that, a lie and that they both embrace the new truth that their relationship has helped them discover. Because relationships, good relationships, are ones where each person challenges the other and causes them to grow–where one partner’s strengths and life experiences help the other’s weaknesses and blind spots. The best couples I know have beautifully complimentary strengths so that each grows as they are sharpened by their partner.

What's your favorite or most satisfying third-act breakup moment from a book or movie (the good ones that feel authentic, not contrived!). Let's build a list of the breakups that actually work.  

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🌴Stepping Into Lucky Seasons (Mine Just Got a Little Brighter)

I was watching  a video yesterday by Jesse Itzler about habits that create space for “lucky” things to happen in your life. He says, “You don’t get lucky sitting on the couch watching the Kardashians. You need to put yourself in positions to get lucky opportunities.”

For me, that means an abundance of prayer and forcing myself to jump out of my comfort zone to do things I’m not naturally inclined to do. I realized recently that I’d been doing exactly that without even noticing.

Last year, I spent a lot of time rethinking my artistic goals and the direction I wanted my art to take. One thing that stood out was that I had no network of other artists doing similar work. I didn’t know any writers—at least not any who were currently writing—and I’d reached a point in my career where that was holding me back.

So, I pushed myself way out of my comfort zone and showed up to a Sweet RomCom reader event. Alone. Not knowing a single soul. If you know anything about me, you know how difficult it is for me to attend social events where I don’t know anyone and have to drum up conversations out of thin air. But I went anyway.

Shortly after that first event, while I was teaching my middle schoolers about setting goals for their future, I set two goals for the 2026 and 2027 Galentine’s events. The first was that when I returned this year, someone would recognize me, from 2025 or from the outreach I’d done over the following year.

During this year’s Galentine’s event, I met that first goal before the event even started, thanks to two separate online interactions where it seemed people remembered me. Then, when I showed up, the very first person I ran into remembered me from the previous year. Yay!!!

I was elated. I’d met my goal for the first year. But my 2027 goal was going to be much, much harder—one of those stretch goals you aren’t quite sure is even possible. Yet before I left that night, things had already been set in motion: I was invited to a writers’ retreat in March, where I’ll get to hang out with some of the writers I’ve looked up to for years and learn from two of the top authors in my genre, Melanie Jacobson and Jenny Proctor.

I’m hoping this long weekend will mark the end of my Winter Writing Sabbatical, that I’ll walk away with fresh inspiration to write again and a clear direction for the second half of Coast of Carolina. Even more than that, I hope to come home with some new friendships among like-minded authors.

Just like I’ve been pushing myself to build new connections and chase those stretch goals, Em in Souvenirs, Book 3 of the Warrior Women Series, is doing something similar. After a really hard couple of years stuck in grief, dormancy, and the weight of the past, she finally decides enough is enough. She travels to Maui with her roommate Indigo to visit friends, and one night at their weekly Game Night by the fire, everything shifts. Surrounded by people who are fully embracing life, she realizes it's time to reclaim her own spark.

Here’s a glimpse straight from the book:

By the time the sunlight wanes, we are well into our game for the night. I look around the fire as I take the last sip of my drink. I have only been here in this new place for a few hours and already I’m awash in community, surrounded by people who are embracing life, moving toward their goals, and enjoying every minute of it.

I, on the other hand, have spent the last two years stuck. Stuck in the past. Stuck in my own anguish. Stuck in a permanent state of dormancy.

But that stops here.

New season, new me. Or maybe I’m finally getting back to the old me—the free-spirited, daydreaming, lighthearted me. The old flower bulbs that have been tucked underground to survive the winter are now ready to burst forth again for a new spring of neon color, vibrant beauty, and unrestrained joy.

Em’s story is all about that turning point—the moment you choose to step forward, surround yourself with uplifting people, and let joy bloom again. It’s a sweet, sun-soaked second-chance romance full of heart, laughter, surfing vibes, and the kind of hope that feels so needed after a tough season.

Right now, Souvenirs is on sale for just $0.99 starting Wednesday, Feb 18—but this special price won’t last! It’s leaving Kindle Unlimited on March 11, so if you want to grab a digital copy to keep forever (and dive into Em and Finn’s Maui adventure), now’s the perfect time.

From Classroom Floor Naps to Mold Hunting: What I Learned (Again)

The first time I got sick from mold and thyroid disfunction, it was a slow, steady decline into the sickest I have ever been in my life. And I did it all wrong. 

Maybe because I had never been sick like that before and was dumb enough to think I would just get over it. Maybe because I was so focused on taking care of everyone else around me and didn’t fully notice how sick I had become. Maybe because I was an endurance athlete with a positivity problem and was just gonna suck it up and wait until I got better.

The only problem was that I never got better. 

Then one day I found myself on the filthy, thirty-year old carpet of my portable classroom with a pillow and blanket trying to take a nap at lunch. 

That was my wake up call. 

Something had to change. Some problems won’t go away by doing the same things over and over that got you into the problem in the first place. I needed change.

In my case, I needed doctors and then a whole new way of living to make sure I was supporting my healing process not continuing my chronic illness.

This January, after spending almost ten years fighting my way back to healthy, I got sick again. And not just a virus, but that same lingering debilitating sick that can only be from mold. I originally thought it was from exposure at work again. But the longer I staid home to recover the sicker I got. Which I now know means the source is most likely my home.,

I had recently converted my garage into a home gym, complete with new flooring, and , even though I knew mold was a possibility if you laid flooring over newer or wetter cement it could cause mold, I had never guessed it could come on so fast.

Except for the fact that I had left the door open when it rained.

So, when I didn’t recover in the typical three days, I went mold hunting.

And found it teeming with mold. So, out it came. And got treated. 

And instead of beating myself up for being so silly to think i was above mold growing in my home again (I am crazy diligent about water intrusion in my house), instead I was just grateful to have learned my lesson that not all things will go away if you just endure. Some things you have to fight fast and hard to overcome them.

And fight I did.

So, although I made absolutely NO progress on my surfing goal (once again couldn’t hold my breath long enough to duck dive a wave of any considerable size), I did avoid another round of losing a full decade to being sick without knowing what it was or how to fight it.

And in my book that is a win.

In Souvenirs, Em ends up with the same sort of debilitating chronic disease that she was lucky enough to have her best friend Finn recognize and force her to confront.

Sure, it took an axe hurtling towards her head without Em even having the energy to dodge, but she figured it out and got the upper hand on it. And she had Finn to back her the whole way as she made the change to seek treatment and knowledge.

If Em could face her debilitating illness with Finn by her side (axe incoming and all!), then we can all take that first brave step when our bodies scream for change.

What's one small action you're taking today to fight for your health? Hit reply and tell me—I'm reading every one. 💪🌊

And if you're craving a story of a fierce woman who finally gets the support (and love) she needs to heal, grab Souvenirs now—it's the perfect reminder that sometimes the people who see us clearest are the ones who push us to fight hardest.

P.S. If this peek behind the pages made you smile, just wait until you get the full salty-sweet scoop delivered straight to you—creative confessions, character playlists, beachy escapes, and all the heartfelt Warrior Women magic. 🏄‍♀️❤️

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