You may have heard of these little darlings called “Pinch Points.” Of all the important structural moments in your story, they’re the most likely to be neglected. They get lost amidst all the excited chatter about their bigger, flashier brethren: the Plot Points. But Pinch Points–two of them, both occurring in the Second Act–are crucial […]
July 20, 2014 by 34 Comments CharactersHow to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 2: The Second Act
The Second Act in a negative character arc bears a lot of similarity to that in a positive change arc. In both types of arc, the character will be thrust out of his Normal World into a new and strange dilemma, where he will be forced to confront his Lie. He’ll be learning more about […]
June 15, 2014 by 25 Comments CharactersHow to Write a Flat Character Arc, Pt. 2: The Second Act
The Second Act is the beating heart of your story—and that’s just as true in a flat character arc as it is in a change arc. The Second Act is all about loosing the character into an unsettled world. He is forced to react to the major event at the First Plot Point and grapple […]
April 27, 2014 by 21 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 11: The Second Half of the Second Act
The Second Half of the Second Act is where you cue the hero music in character arcs. Thanks to that major personal revelation at the Midpoint, the protagonist now gets it. The puzzle pieces are falling into place. The light bulbs have flashed on. He sees what he has to do to win the conflict. […]
April 20, 2014 by 43 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 10: The Midpoint
In a positive change character arc, your protagonist will have spent the First Half of the Second Act blundering around in foreign territory, making mistakes based on false assumptions, and getting his hand slapped for his every wrong move. But he’s also going to have been slowly—maybe even subconsciously—learning his lesson and figuring things out. […]
March 7, 2014 by 56 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Mirror Moment: A Method for Both Plotters and Pantsers
I want to thank Katie for giving me some space here to talk about my new book, Write Your Novel From the Middle. Rather than have her come up with interview questions, I took that burden upon myself. The only problem was, when I questioned myself, I tended to go on and on. I’ve thus […]
January 12, 2026 by 28 Comments Plotting Your NovelStory Stakes: When to Reveal Them—and Why Timing Is Everything
Here’s what’s most important for writers to understand about story stakes. Story stakes are what characters stand to lose if they fail—not what they gain if they succeed. Stakes are the emotional cost of the story’s outcome and the primary reason readers care what happens next. Character motivations drive your story. The protagonist’s motivation informs […]
April 15, 2012 by 12 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 8: The Second Half of the Second Act
Now that we’ve passed the midpoint, things are starting to heat up in our story. The second half of the second act is where your plot really starts popping. Your main character caps the dramatic event at the midpoint with his decision to stop reacting and start acting. Almost always, this is born of a personal revelation, even […]
April 8, 2012 by 44 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 7: The Midpoint
Halfway through our stories, something marvelous happens. There we are, minding our own business, toiling along in the seemingly endless desert of the second act, when—whap! bang! shazam!—everything changes all over again. Legendary director Sam Peckinpah talked about how he always looked for a “centerpiece” on which to “hang” his story. That centerpiece is your second major plot point, the […]
