Page 33 - 2019 March Voices

A Roadmap Through Your First Novel

Mallory Searcy

things that unfold around them; even if they involve a setback or a brush with the antagonist,

have a take-charge personality, they’re still in a way that shows what the stakes would be if
handling the plot events in a more reactionary the character fails. Generally the first pinch point
or exploratory way, while after the midpoint, is the smaller of the two, and can even be very
they have a more deliberate and driven plan that subtle. The second is more serious, and sets the

drives them to the end. For example, in the first character or mission back in a major way. In the
Lord of the Rings movie, the midpoint is when first Lord of the Rings, Pinch Point 1 is the scene
the Hobbits decide to take the ring all the way when Frodo gets stabbed by the Ringwraith, and
to Mordor instead of just dropping it off with the Pinch Point 2 is where Gandalf defeats the Balrog

elves, and the Company forms. The mission and by sacrificing himself and falling into the abyss.
direction is clarified from this point on. Once you know where the key structural
points go in your story, the next thing to address
Plot Point 2 is your characters. A plot can be interesting,

This falls at around 75-80% of the way but readers generally won’t be hooked without
through, and involves the final piece of characters they enjoy reading about. It’s
information leading to the end. After this point, important to make them seem like real people,
the characters are on a clear path toward the at least for the ones who have a lot of “screen

climax of the story, which happens most at the time” in the story. Beyond the basics—like age,
end. In the Harry Potter example, this point is occupation, appearance and surface traits—
when Harry and his friends find out they have you should also know what they’re motivated
to go to the underground chamber to get to the by, driven toward, and what they most want to

Sorcerer’s stone. Everything after this point escape from, whether this is an external factor
focuses on the challenges inside the chamber, or an internal one. Also, pay attention to their
the climax, and the end. personality layers beyond just an obvious general
demeanor. No one carries themselves the exact
Pinch Points 1 and 2 same way 24/7, or is completely defined by outer

Each story has two moments called Pinch characteristics.
Points—one at about the one-third mark, and the Once you have your plot mapped out and
other at the two-thirds mark. These moments your characters developed, you can write your

VOICES! | MARCH 2019 33