In an article for Writer’s Digest, Sue Mell offers advice for creating turning points for your characters. “A turning point is just that: a left turn here, a right there, a bit of round and round, until something gives way to change—or a stance against it,” Mell says.
And your novel is essentially a series of such choices, moments where your characters change for good or ill. But sometimes, your characters don’t want to change. They are happy where they are or stuck in a rut. Mell suggests a few tricks to creating and portraying the right turning point:
- Harm. The death of someone close to your protagonist creates a strong turning point, but other non-fatal physical harm can also force your hero to change their habits, especially if your character is to blame. In Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist, the protagonist’s broken leg is the inciting action for the novel. In Tyler’s Saint Maybe, the death of the protagonist’s brother and sister-in-law put him in charge of their three children.
- Pile Ups. Sometimes your protagonist needs the equivalent of a bumper car pile up to get them moving.
- Second to None. Like an outside event, a secondary character can push your hero to a turning point. “Love, pride, approval, inclusion, acceptance—what’s the emotional reward that ultimately makes it worth overcoming even the strongest resistance to action or change?” Mell asks. The key to this method is having your secondary character repeatedly nudge your protagonist. Your hero might resist the change or backslide, but ultimately, their inspiration doesn’t give up on them. This also works with negative reinforcement. If your secondary character isn’t a good example, they might be a good warning.
- Exploiting Flaws. Your characters have flaws and generally the point of your novel is how they overcome at least some of them. Ask questions about the source of the flaw and how it’s affected your protagonist, then ask again how that flaw is present in the life now. How is it hurting them and others? How does it manifest? Dredging your protagonist’s backstory for past hurts and mistakes can give you clues to the kind of turning points you need in their present.
Portraying these turning points is another skill. How do you choose which of your characters’ experiences to show and in what order? Mell suggests creating a reverse outline to help you examine your story and identify choices that aren’t working. A reverse outline is exactly what it sounds like: an outline of everything that happens in your novel, broken down by chapter or timeframe, in the order it happens. “In other words, it’s a way to see everything at once—the true topography of your manuscript, if you will,” Mell says. “A map that’s likely to reveal surprising things about character arc, how events are juxtaposed, and how they might be more effectively arranged—especially in regard to turning points.”
