The start of the third act marks a significant shift. It’s when your story begins to lead toward its inevitable climax and your protagonist moves from deception to truth. But before that happens, you need to know how to write a pivotal third plot point that will lay the groundwork for the rest of your third act.
Continuing our series on story structure, I’ll share helpful tips on how to write the third plot point that prepares for your climax, using story examples to demonstrate key lessons that will help you craft your best story.
Five Ways To Write A Pivotal Third Plot Point:
What Is The Third Plot Point?
The Third Plot Point is the most critical and pivotal moment in your story. Often referred to as the “dark night of the soul,” this pivotal turning point signifies a significant setback or defeat for the protagonist. It is the moment that forces them to face their deepest fears and doubts. The moment that serves as the catalyst that will ultimately lead to the story’s climax and resolution.
This is the moment your story has been building toward, and the moment that will shape what happens next. It’s a critical point for character development, representing the choice the protagonist must make between the lie they’ve believed and the truth they need to face, ultimately leading to a transformation that will change their character and beliefs.
Use A Crushing Defeat
The transition into the third act marks a significant shift, often featuring a devastating blow, a crushing defeat, or a shocking revelation that serves to shatter your protagonist’s confidence.
In Star Wars, the second act shows Luke Skywalker convincing Han Solo to help him rescue Princess Leia. Despite his awkward methods, Luke begins to display the qualities of a hero. He’s confident, knowledgeable, and able to adapt to the chaos of outwitting the Empire’s minions. But as the story moves into the third act, Luke’s confidence is shaken when Ben Kenobi is killed by Darth Vader.
Despite successfully rescuing the princess and escaping the Death Star, Luke faces a heavy blow when he witnesses Ben’s death. Though he has little time to mourn his mentor’s loss, this devastating moment ultimately fuels his desire to keep fighting. It’s the catalyst behind every decision he makes moving forward.
Break Your Protagonist
The third plot point is the climax of your protagonist’s internal struggle, characterized by a moment of vulnerability and despair. This isn’t just a setback; it’s a shift that emphasizes the antagonist’s strength and the protagonist’s weakness.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker accidentally brings several villains from different parts of the multiverse into his world. When he learns they all die in their own universes, Peter nobly tries to save them and alter their fates. However, his plans are disrupted by the Green Goblin, leading to a fierce battle that ultimately costs him dearly.
The loss of Aunt May isn’t just a setback for Peter. It’s a devastating moment that shatters Peter’s will to do good, pushing him to consider retribution. But while it’s a tragedy that feels personal to him, he quickly learns that it’s shared by others who wear the mantle of Spider-Man.
Spider-Man: No Way Home features a powerful third plot point that breaks the protagonist while using unique and creative methods to help him recover and face the consequences of his decision. The entire story and its outcome depend on the strength of this key moment.
Confront The Lie
Use this pivotal moment in the protagonist’s arc to make them face their core wound or lie they’ve been believing. Use their defeat to illustrate the consequences of clinging to that lie, thereby exposing their need for change.
In The Matrix, Neo discovers that he has spent his whole life inside a virtual simulation that kept him trapped. After he’s freed by Morpheus, he struggles to accept the reality of the truth. Complicating matters is the idea that he is The One, a prophesied savior meant to end mankind’s slavery. But when the Oracle asks him if he believes he’s The One, Neo doesn’t have an answer.
The lie Neo has been conditioned to believe is that he is just an ordinary guy. It’s a belief he still holds onto even when he’s forced to choose between saving himself or risking everything to save Morpheus. And even though he can’t fully accept the truth, Neo has started to believe he is capable of sacrificing himself for someone else, which speaks to the essence of who The One is and where his path will ultimately end.
Your protagonist doesn’t have to fully recognize the lie or make a blatant attempt to embrace the truth at the Third Plot Point. They simply need to begin confronting the lie by making a thematic choice that will ultimately lead them to the thematic truth.
Use Symbolism
Show the symbolic death of your protagonist’s old self, including their previous beliefs and motivations. Have them face their own mortality, either literally or figuratively, as you increase the stakes in preparation for the final confrontation.
In Batman Begins, Bruce Wayne begins his mission to eliminate Gotham’s criminal element. But he’s soon confronted by his former mentor, Ducard, who reveals himself as the mysterious Ras Al Ghul. As the leader of the League of Shadows, Ras is determined to purge Gotham’s corruption with more extreme methods, while Wayne favors a more altruistic approach. Their clash of ideals ultimately results in the Ras leaving Wayne for dead as his family manor is set aflame.
The destruction of Wayne Manor represents Bruce’s symbolic death. Everything that connected him to the Wayne identity has been burned away, essentially purging him of that persona. His descent into the cave is symbolic of his journey into the underworld, where he adopts a new identity and is reborn as Batman.
The combination of thematic elements and visual cues is an effective way to add depth to your overall narrative. Symbols tend to resonate with your audience in ways that words can’t.
Set Up The Climax
Use the third plot point to establish the build-up to the climax and the final confrontation. Keep your protagonist uncertain while giving them a clear path toward embracing the story’s thematic truth as they fight to reach their goal.
The end of the second act of Captain America: The Winter Soldier reveals that Bucky Barnes is the man behind the attempt on Nick Fury’s life.. As Steve prepares to carry out his mission to stop Hydra, he’s haunted by the friendship with Bucky—a bond he believed was unbreakable. The nature of his conflict is perfectly captured by Sam’s warning that Bucky isn’t the man he used to be.
This scene perfectly sets up the impending climax by establishing the inner conflict that must be resolved through Cap confronting his best friend. While we know that the third act will focus on his fight to defeat Hydra, it’s that final confrontation with Bucky that captures the story’s climax.
Summing it up
Knowing how to write a pivotal Third Plot Point involves immersing your protagonist in the most devastating moment of their journey, pushing them to their breaking point so they can rise from the ashes and confront the final challenge. As the key moment in your story’s narrative, it’s vital to create the right defining scene to ensure you leave a powerful impact that leads your audience into the third act.
Have you used this approach in your own writing? Let me know about it! Next month, we’ll move to the moment everything has been building up to: The Climax. Until then, keep working toward your goals. Enjoy the process! And above all, keep writing!
Until next time,
