Let’s dive into our in-depth discussion of Universal Story Structure by talking about the 3 Major Turning Points: the Key Event, the Midpoint, and the All Is Lost.

While a story has several turning points, each Major Turning Point signifies the separation between Act 1 and Act 2, between Act 2A and Act 2B, and between Act 2 and Act 3 respectively.

In Act 1, we’re getting to know the character and watching them make their plan for how they will succeed against the main story problem. In Act 2, the main character starts being shown what will work and what won’t in preparation for their Belief Shift. And in Act 3, our hero faces their biggest challenge, taking on the main story problem directly, and (hopefully) overcoming it by solidifying their faith in the new belief.

I think of it as a process of: believing they know everything, realizing their ignorance (often through painful trial and error), and embracing a new understanding. Three very separate phases, each with a Major Turning Point in between.

Major Turning Points Change the Direction of the Story

The Major Turning Points are always areas of high tension, both externally (the physical happening of the story) and internally (the main character’s confidence and emotional state).

Like other turning points, the Key Event, Midpoint, and All is Lost create changes, but the difference is scale.

These are moments where the character has a realization about the adventure or main story problem. Essentially, they are discovering the truth about how things work.

What they discover will change their actions and how they show up.

From a reader’s perspective, the feel of the story often shifts, becoming increasingly more serious as we learn things alongside the main character.

Key Event

The Key Event marks the shift between Act 1 and Act 2. They’ve already taken on their challenge, set a goal, and made a plan. At the end of Act 1, they typically feel wary but prepared for what’s coming. They know it will be hard, but they have their plan and they believe it will see them through.

Then the Key Event happens….

Classically, this is where they ‘enter the adventure world’. I call it the “Not in Kansas anymore” moment.

This might mean they are being introduced to a new physical location, or simply a new situation. What’s important is that they see things are not the same here as what they were before. The rules are different.

Typically, the Key Event is some sort of mini-disaster where the hero, armed with their plan, acts the way they would in the pre-adventure world, and get themselves in trouble. Often they are rescued by someone else, because they’re so naive to their situation that they don’t know how to get themselves out.

Externally, it’s a moment of relative danger.

Internally, they’re confused. This is the first moment they recognize they might not have all the answers.

This is necessary so that they will start questioning, aware that there is something for them to learn. But at this point, they drastically underestimate how much there is to learn or how important it is to them.

Key Event Examples:

• Hunger Games: Katniss’ typical defensive attitude upsets Effie Trinket on the train to the Capitol, and Katniss feels bad about it.
• Lord of the Rings: Frodo discovers the corrupting power of the ring when Boromir tries to take it from him.
• The Proposal: Margaret and Andrew have their fake engagement questioned by the immigration authorities, and Andrew pushes back against Margaret, making her realize he won’t be easy to control.

Midpoint

Classically, the midpoint is where ‘the true nature of the conflict is revealed’. And it very often happens right at the 50% mark, exactly half-way through the story.

Like the Key Event, this is a big change in understanding. The rules, again, are different.

They’ve been trying to learn, trying to work towards their goal through the first half of the second act. But regardless of what they’ve been doing or learning, they will find themselves in serious danger of the thing they fear most. Sometimes it’s physical danger, sometimes it’s more mental or emotional.

Like the other Major Turning Points, the midpoint is an external event (ie, someone or something takes a significant, notable action). It is also an internal event, forcing them to encounter their greatest fear or the thing they’re trying to avoid. This is the ‘true nature of the conflict’ ie, the thing they fear the most.

But there is also a very important piece of the midpoint called the Spark of Hope. Essentially, they get into big trouble, and are saved through this Spark of Hope. The Spark of Hope is ‘the true secret weapon to defeat the conflict’.

There is a complicated connection between the main story problem, the main story problem’s weakness, and your characters secret hidden strengths and secret values that make them the Hero Destined to Succeed. And the midpoint is where all of that comes together.

What happens is the main character, who’s had this one plan all along, hits the midpoint and the Spark of Hope. They see how something they thought they had to suppress is actually okay (they don’t understand it’s actually the secret to defeating the main story problem at this point, but they feel relief at being able to express it, even if it feels like a terrible idea for the situation they’re in). And this changes how they show up.

Again, a shift externally and a great deal of confusion internally. But it allows them to start experimenting more with the belief shift they will need to make.

Midpoint Examples:

• The Hunger Games: Katniss is attacked by other tributes and rescued by Rue and Peeta (fear: death, Spark of Hope: being helped by others)
• Lord of the Rings: Frodo and Sam glimpse the gates of Mordor and the army gathered there, and Gollum offers a secret way around (fear: failure, Spark of Hope: being guided by others)
• The Proposal: Margaret talks with Andrew’s ex during a surprise bridal shower, and is reassured that Andrew is a good guy (fear: being social, Spark of Hope: Andrew is a good person)

All Is Lost

The All Is Lost moment is our final turning point, and just like the others, features a significant moment that changes the external story, and a massive internal shift.

In the All Is Lost moment, the hero might succeed or fail at the goal. I want to be really clear here: what is hopelessly lost is not the external goal.

The failure is internal.

Even if they succeed at their original goal, they are not going to feel good about it in the way they expected. They will realize that the original goal will not make them happy. In fact, succeeding at this goal will likely devastate them. They won’t be able to live with themselves, even if they succeed.

Again, externally: a definitive moment, possibly even a wrapping up, of the original goal

Internally: a whole lot of anguish and confusion.

All Is Lost Examples

• The Hunger Games: Foxface eats the poison berries and dies, Katniss fears it is Peeta, and realizes she was responsible for the death. (Failure: can’t live with herself if Peeta dies / it’s her fault)
• Lord of the Rings: Frodo is captured by Shelob, the giant spider, and presumed dead. Sam carries on without him. (Failure: Sam leaves Frodo)
• The Proposal: Margaret and Andrew succeed at fooling his family with their fake engagement, but Margaret feels guilty. (Failure: Margaret does not want to hurt Andrew or his family)

Major Turning Points Help The Hero Discover What They Truly Want

Each of the 3 Major Turning Points is necessary to move the main character from their surviving mindset to a thriving mindset. Each a step towards them discovering what they truly want: At the Key Event, it’s often their values that cause them to feel that whatever happens is a failure. At the Midpoint, their values make up the Spark of Hope. And at the All Is Lost, it is the threat of losing their values that is most upsetting.

If you want to learn more about building your main character’s values, and how that interacts with the main story problem to make them a Hero Destined to Succeed, check out the Write Now Mentorship which takes you step-by-step through the story planning process to create an intricate and deeply layered novel that will have readers completely hooked from beginning to end. With on-demand lessons, access to workshops, and live coaching calls, it truly is the revolutionary way to write your novel. Learn more here.