𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 & 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬

how to structure your story

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- What is my protagonist's NEW plan going to be, based on the game-changing midpoint and what it means to them?

- How does my protagonist think their new plan is going to actually work and bring them to their goal while STILL avoiding their fear?

Second Pinch Point: Opposition/Antagonistic Force Gets Closer

Remember, your "opposition" doesn't have to be an actual villain or even a person — it can be the protagonist's misbelief always looming in the background, getting ready to attack them come act 3.

Whatever the major "opposition" your protagonist is going to face off with at the climax of your story, that's what you want to give the reader a taste of at this story beat.

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- How can I show the opposition/antagonistic force now getting closer to disrupting the protagonist's life?

Act 3

Supposed Victory: Protagonist Thinks They Have Overcome

Making progress with their new-and-improved plan, the protagonist feels confident they will be victorious.

Or perhaps they have already overcome the smallest of the challenges and feel pretty good about their plan.

Little do they know, disaster is on the way. (NOTE: this plot point is optional, but awesome.)

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- Why does my protagonist think they will be victorious?

- What's happening to make them feel SO CLOSE to achieving their goal and finding happiness at last?

Disaster: Everything Goes Wrong

Bring your protagonist to their knees by rooting the disaster in their greatest fear and misbelief.

It might be something that's terrible for anyone to experience, but go beyond that and make it something especially bad for your protagonist because of their fear and misbelief.

Every decision they have made throughout the story has led them to this moment...which means they are to blame for their own ruin.

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- What does this disaster specifically mean to my protagonist?

- How does it force them to realize that they're the one to blame for this crisis?

- How does it completely disarm them and make them face off with their fear and misbelief?

Dark Moment: Protagonist Is Hopeless

It's always darkest before the dawn. Your protagonist needs a rock-bottom moment in order to have an "aha" moment — and that's what makes the revelation so satisfying.

But right now, in wake of the disaster, your protagonist is feeling utterly and completely broken, confused, lost, and disappointed.

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- How is my protagonist forced into the ring with their kryptonite?

Aha Moment: Renewed Hope

This is the biggest pivotal moment in your whole story.

After your protagonist has been brought to their knees by the disaster, they have a revelation — an aha moment.

They can suddenly see how their fear and misbelief has led them to make the wrong decisions about everything.

They realize how wrong they were — but most importantly, they see that they'll have to overcome their fear/misbelief and make the RIGHT decision in order to achieve their goal.

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- How is my protagonist going to overcome their fear and continue to the climax, therefore developing as a character?

- What lesson are they going to learn (and simultaneously teach the audience?)

Temptation: Aha Moment Alternative To A Disaster + Dark Moment

Instead of everything going wrong for your protagonist... everything goes right.

They are given the opportunity to finally have the thing they've ALWAYS wanted (the misbelief-based goal they've been chasing this whole time.)

But now, they turn it down. Because, after going on this transformative journey, they realize: they don't want it anymore.

They have found something so much better. They have found true happiness.

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- What is it the specific misbelief-based goal that my protagonist has been chasing this whole time?

- How is my protagonist offered the chance to finally have this thing they've always wanted?

- How will my protagonist prove their transformation by turning down this offer?

Climactic Confrontation: Protagonist Faces Their Biggest Challenge Yet

This is the moment everyone has been waiting for, where the protagonist is going to face their most difficult challenge yet.

It's a true test of their character — and how they respond to the confrontation is the proof that they've transformed...as a result of their journey.

So your protagonist has already won the internal battle (in their "aha" moment) but now it's time for them to win the external battle (which of course will force them to face off with their greatest fears.)

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- How does my protagonist prove their transformation by crushing their misbelief and facing their greatest fear with courage? 

Victory: Protagonist Overcomes

This doesn't necessarily mean the protagonist wins the external battle or that things turn out exactly how they hoped.

But the protagonist does experience a personal victory — because they overcame their fear and destroyed their misbelief.

Here's my rule of thumb: if your reader doesn't know how the character has transformed as a result of their journey, you need to rewrite your book until they do.

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- How has my protagonist changed as a result of their journey?

Resolution: Wrapping Up Loose Ends

This is the part where all the loose ends are tied up. The reader should be left with no missing information or silent questions.

If the book is part of a series, then you may want to end on a cliffhanger by swapping out the "victory" story beat with another "plot twist."

If the book is a standalone, make sure the reader's questions are answered when they reach the final page.

PROMPT: Ask yourself:

- Where will my protagonist go from here?

- What does their life look like, now that they have overcome their misbelief?

Credit: Abbie Emmons