Story Structure Secrets: The first plot point

Stories are a series of scenes. Some of these scenes are planned, some are even deliberately repetitive for the sake of emphasis. But some scenes change everything. These game changers are the plot points. They introduce significant elements and events that alter the subsequent course of history. Your story can have any number of plot points, some relatively minor, some incredibly important. Plot points are what keep your story going. They confuse things, keep the conflict alive, and push your character away from any possibility of stagnation.

The first major plot point (occurring around 25% of your story) is a bit of a misnomer, since your story could have any number of plot points within the first quarter of the story. For example, in the film Changeling , we have several catastrophic plot points (including the kidnapping of the heroine's child, the return of the wrong boy, and the police department's insistence that she accept the child anyway) before her decision, at the first quarter, to fight the corrupt police department. Next, we'll take a look at what differentiates the 25% plot point from any previous point.

What is the first plot point?

The first major plot point is the one that changes everything. It's the tipping point for your characters. Often, this plot point will be the key event. The first plot point is the moment when the setup ends and your character crosses his personal Rubicon. But this isn't just an event that happens to him (like the kidnapping of the heroine's son in Changeling ). This is an event that incorporates or is directly followed by the character's reaction in a strong and irrevocable way (for example, the Changeling heroine's decision to fight against the police). We will discuss the reaction in more detail in an upcoming post.

Where does the first plot point belong?

The first plot point marks the end of the first act, and the character's reaction marks the beginning of the second. In a way, the first plot point is the climax of the first act and, as such, should be somewhere around 20-25% of the story. In general, the exact placement of plot points in a novel allows for more flexibility than we find in a film. If you pay attention while watching a film, you can clock main plot points down to the minute (which makes film an especially valuable medium for studying structure, as we can view the entire plot structure in one sitting and identify plot points plot accurately by dividing the total running time into quarters).

So what is the reason for this seemingly arbitrary placement of the first plot point? Why 25% and not 10% or 40%? Simply, because this is the point at which a reader's innate human sense of history tells him that something great should happen. If you've ever seen or read a poorly crafted story that skipped or delayed the first plot point, you probably instinctively felt that the story was dragging on. You probably got bored and got up to do something else without finishing the story. No first plot point means there is no turning point. Meaning the first act drags on too long or conversely if the first plot point unfolds too fast the second act drags on.

Some examples from movies and literature

As one of the most dynamic moments in any story, the first plot point is both one of the easiest to spot and one of the most exciting to study. So let's look at what happens around the 25% in our four example stories.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813)

After the ball at Netherfield Park, Darcy and Caroline Bingley persuade Bingley to return to London and forget his growing affection for Jane. A lot has happened in history up to this point. Lydia and Kitty have fallen in love with the militia. Wickham incited Lizzy against Darcy. Jane and Lizzy stayed in Netherfield during Jane's convalescence. And Mr. Collins has proposed to Lizzy. But that all changes at 25% of the story when Darcy and the Bingleys leave. This is the event that breaks Jane's heart and infuriates Lizzy against Darcy. Motivations and character reactions aside, the landscape of the story also changes, since several prominent characters are no longer in the neighborhood for the Bennets to interact with as they did in the first quarter of the book.

It's a Wonderful Life directed by Frank Capra (1947)

During the first quarter of the story, George Bailey's plans for his life went ahead without interruption. Despite his various misadventures in Bedford Falls, he's well on his way to a vacation in Europe and a college education. Then comes the first plot point and her life changes forever. When his father dies of a stroke, George's plans are upended. As in Pride and Prejudice , the standards that have already been established in the story are dramatically altered. This is no longer the story of a carefree young man freewheeling around the city. From here on, this is the story of a man forced to shoulder his responsibilities by working at Bailey Brothers' Building & Loan.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game (1977)

The first quarter of Ender's Game sees Ender being promoted from his throwing group to the Salamander Army after a successful showdown with bully Bernard. Aside from Ender's personal statement for brains, toughness, and leadership qualities, whereby he reclaims his place at Battle School and makes it clear to himself, other kids, and instructors that he will do whatever he has to do to survive, this The first major plot point also changes the game (no pun intended!) by once again moving Ender to a new environment. As a member of Salamander's army, you've fallen into a new place, a new social stratum, and a new set of challenges.

Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World directed by Peter Weir (2004)

After refitting Surprise and returning to sea in search of their adversary, the French privateer Acheron , Captain Jack Aubrey is confident that all will go according to plan. But he (and viewers) are teased by the first major plot point. Instead of taking the Acheron by surprise , the captain suddenly awakes to find the enemy heading towards his ship which is much smaller. Suddenly, it just isn't anymore certain of an easy victory - or any victory, for that matter - but also that he and his crew are in grave danger of being captured. They hurry to escape and the game of cat and mouse that will comprise the rest of the film begins in earnest.

What do we take with us from these examples?

So what do the masterful plot points in these books and movies teach us?

1. The first major plot point occurs almost on the dot around 25% of the story ( Pride and Prejudice is the only one that's been late, if only by a few pages).
2. The first plot point is an event that changes everything and becomes a personal turning point for the main character.
3. The first major plot point almost always changes the story so irrevocably that the character's immediate environment (both the physical setting and the cast of supporting characters) changes as well.
4. The first important plot point is something that the main character must be able to react strongly and irretrievably.

The first major plot point is one of the most emotional moments in any story. Feed yours for all it's worth! Pick a strong, cataclysmic event that your character has no choice but to fight back with everything they've got. Hit the readers so hard at the end of Act I, they won't even think about closing the book.