5 Secrets of Story Structure

No obstacles = no conflict. No conflict = no story.

Always ask yourself:

What does my protagonist want in the overall story?
What does he want in this scene?
What is he doing to try to achieve it?

The Key Event: Leaving the Normal World
The Key Event is when your character leaves the Normal World of the First Act.

Key Event and the First Plot Point sound similar. They’re both deeply personal moments. They both seem to be events from which the protagonist can’t walk away. And they both seem to be points of no return.

Your Climax is the point of the whole story. This is where the conflict must finally be resolved, for good and all, one way or the other.

Third Plot Point, as your final major plot point, is going to change everything once again. Whatever happens here is going to force your character to a low place.

After the Midpoint, your character is going to start going on the offensive. He’s no longer going to be willing to simply have the antagonist bring the battle to him.

Midpoint is your story’s second major plot point. This is where everything changes—again.

The First Plot Point changed his world—and probably not for the better.

The First Plot Point marks the end of the First Act and the beginning of the Second. This is where everything changes for your character.