Comments on: Writing 101: What The Heck Is a Turning Point?

By: 🖋 Writing Links Round Up 11/4 – B. Shaun Smith

🖋 Writing Links Round Up 11/4 – B. Shaun Smith — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 20:09:29 +0000

[…] Writing 101: What The Heck Is a Turning Point? […]

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 21:35:04 +0000

In reply to Diana Stout. I agree, Diana. That resonated with me SO MUCH, and really laid the groundwork for me "getting it."

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 21:33:46 +0000

In reply to Denise. That sounds magical, Denise. What conference was it?

By: Diana Stout

Diana Stout — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 21:00:27 +0000

My favorite turning point is #3, where both the reader AND the protagonist can't go back. The reader is fully hooked, and the protagonist is self-reflecting in a Mirror Moment, realizing the lie they have been living about themselves up until this point, which dictates a brand new commitment of action AND behavior needed to reach their goal.

By: Denise

Denise — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 04:56:36 +0000

I went to a small writing conference last December, and the organizer--a bestselling author--explained it so well. It was an intensive conference, and I got so much out of it.

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 01:23:52 +0000

In reply to Lynette M Burrows. I so agree with you on the need for all 5 turning points . And also that the 2nd draft is full of magic. Larry Brooks is one of my favorite instructors too!

By: Lynette M Burrows

Lynette M Burrows — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 22:20:16 +0000

Great breakdown, Jenny. I didn't learn about turning points for a long time after I had written a very messy draft that just didn't quite work. My aha moment came with reading a blog post on Storyfix in which Larry Brooks deconstructed a movie I was familiar with. After a while, I internalized a lot of that information so that I am able to identify my turning points when I'm developing my outline. During the process of writing the novel, usually in the second draft, I realize those points have changed a bit from my outline. A few tweaks helps clean those up. But that's what works for me. I love hearing/reading about other author's methods for writing. There is more than one way to write a story...but nearly every successful story has all five turning points.

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 16:44:25 +0000

In reply to Dale Ivan Smith. Thanks for weighing in, Dale! Johnson's novel writing workshop sounds so beneficial and amazing. Turning points are what really made the difference in getting my books organized. To lay that concept over your own first draft or outline would be really helpful for any writer, I think.

By: Jenny Hansen

Jenny Hansen — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 16:41:03 +0000

In reply to Victoria Bley. You are very very welcome, Victoria! (And welcome to WITS. :-) ) I am a total pantser, so that turning point math and pacing added a lot of extra stress in the first draft. Really, I HAD to kick it to the second draft, or I'd never finish anything. Revision is when the magic happens for me too!

By: Victoria Bley

Victoria Bley — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 16:31:29 +0000

I struggle to pin down those head-scratching concepts, even though I've studied them at length. But your Number Six just reached out and grabbed me. Write the first draft; find and fix the pacing later. Revision is where the real writing takes place, for me.

Thank you, Jenny, for this fantastic column!