Character pivots, where to put them
Normally this sort of thing is easier than actually writing the piece for me but this time I can't get anywhere with the overall structure of the story:
I want a character to win a great victory, at great cost, a cost that comes to define his continued existence, is there a way to place such a moment within the body, rather than at the beginning of a piece such that the piece doesn't feel anticlimactic to that character moment?
I've seen examples where such moments are used to end a section of a serial, such as the end of The Gunslinger but I'm kind of set on the idea of using it as a central moment in a relatively small piece.
Any insights would be most welcome.
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Nearly all successful stories fall into the three act structure; the first act is the setup and definition of a problem or pivotal change in the characters life. In the first Harry Potter novel, ACT I consists of Harry turning eleven, Hagrid coming to his house at that moment to inform him he is going to Hogwarts, and Act I ends when Harry boards the magical train (chapter six; on page 116 of 584 in my copy, 19.86% of the way through) and enters another magical world.
This event was set up by Harry turning eleven, on page 56, the end of chapter 3 (9.6% of the way through, and almost precisely halfway through the first act). This is the life changing event for Harry, something happens to him that will change everything, even though he doesn't realize this on page 56.
In your story, you have (as DPT said) about 20% of the length to set up the story and central conflict. Your character's moment should begin at 10%, and probably peak around 15%, and then wind down the consequences by 20%, when the reader realizes that act will be "defining his continued existence".
The first 10% is to get the reader accustomed to how the character acts and thinks before the instigating event. Then 5% to progress to "the great victory at great cost", then 5% to deal with the consequences of "the great cost", the perceptions of fame and/or villainy, the emotional reactions of the MC.
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One 'classic' structure of a journey is to write ~ 10-20% of the story establishing the character(s) and their original settings. A switch (marking a decision, a change, a new course for the MC) happens at that point, and the bulk of the ensuing story is 'adventure.' The MC learns the skills and so on that will be needed at the end of the story. There is a final crisis, somewhere around 75 - 90% of the way through the novel. The character faces the final crisis, uses her skills, and he either succeeds or fails in this challenge. The last 5 - 15% of story is resolution.
You are asking if a climactic moment can occur halfway through, and I imagine you have ideas for what comes before, and after, that climax. I have two ideas in response.
If there is an overriding arc that fits a classic structure (the one described above, or another), then you may be able to blend your idea onto it. Perhaps the pivot for your character happens as he is acquiring the skills she needs to face the inevitable crisis. (The death of Obi Wan was a pivot for Luke, but the ultimate crisis was blowing up the death star.)
Or, throw everything out the window and just write it the way you want. The human brain can adapt to a lot of different ways of storytelling. The Lord of the Rings saga seems to have character pivots (and battles) all over the place. I found it tedious, but the story is successful, and perhaps some analysis of that story structure (which surely exists online somewhere) can give you clues.
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31550. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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