The Midpoint scene is arguably one of the most important scenes in a story. Some authors and craft writers like James Scott Bell even recommend that authors write their book from the middle. Others like Jessica Brody (Save the Cat! Writes a Novel…an absolute must in a writer’s toolkit and what this article will heavily focus on as a resource) explain the importance of this scene/beat in a story’s Big Picture.
But what about the scene structure in a Midpoint scene itself? Should it differ from the structure in other scenes—assuming its significance in a story?
In today’s article, you can learn what important fiction elements should happen in a Midpoint scene—and if the structure needs anything that the average scene-by-scene doesn’t include.
The Midpoint: What it is and why it’s a big deal
As someone who has studied story and structure for over a decade, I will defend the importance of Midpoint scenes six ways to Sunday. In my opinion, it is one of the three most important scenes in a story—and also should rank as one of the most intense scenes in a plot for various reasons.
My two favorite resources on Midpoints are Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel and James Scott Bell’s Super Structure (read my article on what he calls the Mirror Moment here).
These are also the two resources I use to teach writers what a Midpoint is, why it matters, and the essential elements a writer needs to include in their story’s Midpoint if they want to uphold the scene’s value and purpose.
Combined, here are six ingredients that I think a great Midpoint includes—a scene that will move the story forward and develop the main characters on the scene level and in the Big Picture story.
6 Key Ingredients of a Captivating Midpoint
To pull some of Brody’s and Bell’s main points and fuse them together, here are six key ingredients a captivating Midpoint should include.
Quickly before that, let’s review what a Midpoint scene is and why it matters.
What is a Midpoint?
A Midpoint scene is a single-scene beat that occurs in the exact middle of a book. It splits Act II into two equal parts and a story as a whole into two halves.
This scene is also a major moment in a story and acts as the centerpiece that a story “hangs” on, according to the famous director Sam Peckinpah.
Why does a Midpoint matter? Because a Midpoint, like every major scene, should change a main character’s direction and advance the plot—only this time, a protagonist should transform from a reactive character to an active one, which is one of a Midpoint scene’s major six ingredients.
The Midpoint: 6 Key Ingredients
A captivating Midpoint should include at least these six key ingredients. I’ve pulled these from a combination of Brody’s (who got them from Blake Snyder) and Bell’s analysis of Midpoints:
1. Happens at the 50% mark: The midpoint should happen at the fifty percent mark. If a novel has dual-POVs, it might occur slightly before or after this moment, and often (if not always) there will be a Midpoint moment for each POV. One of these POVs might be the central character (versus a truly ensemble cast), and thus the Midpoint scene for the Big Picture probably happens in their chapter.
If there’s dual (or more) protagonists, the Midpoint could occur in the same scene (the Midpoint is the same for both of them, see my example below). Or, multiple midpoints happen, with one in each POV arc (in this case, look for the 50% mark for each POV and structure out a Midpoint scene for each perspective).
2. There’s a Mirror Moment: This scene forces the protagonist to look into a metaphorical mirror and reevaluate who they are as a character.
Is this the kind of person/character they want to be? If not, they will start to change with intentional effort from this moment forward. If so, they will forge ahead with a new perspective or confidence in who they are or who they are becoming.
3. A False Triumph or a False Failure: There is a False Triumph or False Failure in a Midpoint’s plot event.
This means that if a protagonist has found success up to a Midpoint, they will experience a False Triumph or a major accomplishment. It’s false because the story isn’t over yet and this triumph isn’t what the protagonist needs in order to achieve their Big Picture wants.
If the protagonist has failed up to this point, they will experience a False Failure at their Midpoint—it’s also false because they’ve yet to experience their lowest moment, even if this might feel like it in the moment.
4. Escalates the Main Crisis the Big Picture hangs on: In every story, there is one dominant Crisis that a protagonist faces. While every scene needs to challenge this Crisis, there are major moments in a plot that escalates this Crisis with more intensity than others—the Midpoint being one of them.
The Main Crisis in a story also hinges on the story’s Big Picture stakes, which are defined by a Whiff of Death. James Scott Bell spotlights three Whiffs of Death that can categorize any story’s Big Picture stakes: physical, psychological, and/or physical.
So, at a Midpoint, you’ll see a Whiff of Death for a story’s Big Picture stakes (physical, psychological, or professional) in correlation with a protagonist’s Mirror Moment. The combination of the two will readdress and escalate the Main Crisis of a story.
5. A and B Story Merge: Every story has an A story (driven by a character’s want and plot’s external movement and obstacles) and a B story (a main character’s internal arc). At this moment, the A and B story come together.
Because of this fusion, the scenes that follow a Midpoint will show how a character starts to significantly transform as the plot nears a Climax.
6. Protagonist changes from Reactive to Active following: Don’t mistake “reaction” for a protagonist’s lack of action. A protagonist needs to make decisions on the scene level up to this moment, but their decisions are forced by external events, i.e. They react to them.
Starting or following a Midpoint, a protagonist will change from someone who reacts to their plot to someone who initiates action in order to face their plot—and that will make all the difference in how they attain or fail to attain their wants and needs by the end.
A Midpoint scene that contains these six ingredients will bring far more intention and purpose to the evolving plot and character transformation—two of the most important elements in every great story!
Midpoint Scene Structure: Anything Different?
If the Midpoint scene must include specific details in order to uphold its purpose and impact on the plot and characters, does the structure need anything special too?
The short answer: No!
The long answer: No! A well-structured scene will advance the plot and develop characters in the smallest scenes to the most significant Big Picture moments, like the Midpoint. I like to use the five commandments of storytelling (from Story Grid and Robert McKee) to assess if a scene is well-structured. (You can learn more about what this structure actually is in this article.)
And you can see my example of how I break down and assess a Midpoint with this example from Disney’s animated classic, Beauty and the Beast.
Midpoint Example: Beauty and the Beast
What Happens (Plot Event)
Event: Belle explores the forbidden West Wing and discovers many of Beast’s enchanted secrets before Beast finds Belle and banishes her from the castle.
Beast: He bursts into a rage and banishes Belle.
Belle: She sneaks into the West Wing and discovers Beast’s secrets.
Key Observation: Belle and Beast both experience a Mirror Moment that fuses their A and B story together: (1) Belle realizes that she may have misjudged the Beast…there’s more than meets the eye, and (2) Beast loses his temper when Belle discovers his greatest vulnerabilities and fears and immediately regrets it.
This Midpoint reinforces the time clock in the story (the rose), which raises the (love/physical and psychological) stakes with a False Defeat—the Beast loses all that he thought he wanted (Whiff of Death).
Scene Structure
Notice that Beast and Belle work as a dual protagonist-antagonist in this scene. However, since I see Beast as the character who wants the most and stands to lose the most in this scene, I will spotlight his Crisis.
As an alternative, I do think you could phrase Belle’s Crisis as: Does she touch the rose, which holds unknown magic, or not?
How does this scene structure work in this Midpoint?
- Inciting Incident: Causal. Belle finds the West Wing.
- Turning Point: Belle discovers the enchanted rose and reaches out to touch it.
- Crisis: Does Beast banish Belle in a rage or calmly address her (and stop her from touching the rose)?
- Climax: Beast aggressively questions Belle and banishes her in a rage.
- Resolution: Belle flees from the castle in fear. Beast immediately regrets his actions and slumps over the enchanted rose, ashamed.
How to Write Your Midpoint Scene
The scene structure of a Midpoint scene is no different than any other scene in a novel. However, the purpose of a Midpoint scene is one of the most significant moments in a story.
Now that you understand six key ingredients in a captivating Midpoint, plan or write your Midpoint scene!
If you’ve already written your Midpoint scene, do you see the key ingredients taught in this article in your scene? If not, how can you include them…and will those changes significantly improve and escalate your Big Picture’s character arc, plot, structure, and stakes?
Share your reflection with an accountability partner or in the comments below! And if you’d like to learn more about scene analysis with examples, check out my other articles on DIY MFA and the First Chapter Deep Dive Analysis episodes available on my podcast, Lit Match.
Abigail K. Perry is a book coach and certified developmental editor who specializes in Upmarket (Book Club) Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Curio Fiction, and YA Fantasy. She is also the host and creator of the podcast LIT MATCH, a podcast made to help writers find the best literary agent and business partner for their writing career by blending passion with business.
Abigail holds a B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film from Syracuse University (Newhouse) and a Masters in Secondary Education, English from Endicott College. Abigail taught creative writing and film for a handful of years, and worked at a literary agency as an editorial intern and the Agency Relations Assistant.
Abigail lives in Massachusetts with her husband, toddler, and rescue pup. She is fluent in book and movie quotes, a monthly columnist for DIY MFA, and writing her own book. She loves animals, nature, and a long walk with good company—especially her two- and four-legged babies (and latest audiobook).
You can reach her on her podcast, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.
