Save the Cat Breakdown Series - Part 10
Midpoint
In the previous article, we explored the Save the Cat story beat of the B Story, and how this is where a subplot (usually a love story) is introduced. This is woven from this point on throughout the story, but really only comes into its own in this story beat. In this article, we are excploring the story beat of the Midpoint, or the climax.
What is the Midpoint story beat?
The Midpoint a single scene story beat that is the climax of the Fun and Games and usually results in a false victory or a false defeat. It is also where the stakes and tension is raised, and where your B plot converges with the main story. It typically occurs at the 50% mark, or at around 40,000 words in a typical 80,000 word novel.
After attempting to resolve their problem, the protagonist either appears to succeed, or appears to fail. This is the false victory or the false defeat, respectively. The reason it is false, is because your protagonist hasn’t realised and rectified their misbelief yet, or in other words, the story’s theme hasn’t yet been discovered and integrated.
In my upcoming novel On The Edge (working title, don’t judge me!), the protagonists compete in the first part of their national figure skating championships, the short program. They both perform well and are on a high at the end of the day, convinced that their troubles are effectively dealt with. This is a false victory because they are as yet unaware of the troubles still facing them with the next day of competition.
A false defeat, on the other hand, would be the opposite. Instead of seeming to succeed at their goal, they fail, or perhaps something comes up that makes their goal seem impossible to reach. For example, in Star Wars: A New Hope, the midpoint occurs when the Millennium Falcon comes out of hyperspace to find that Alderaan has been destroyed. This makes their mission to deliver R2 to Leia’s father impossible. They must now pivot and adapt to their new situation.
Regardless of whether it’s a victory or a defeat, the point is that there is still more to come, the tension is raised somehow and the protagonist has something they need to learn in order for them to fully succeed.
This is also where the protagonist starts to accept that they need to let go of what they want and instead start chasing what they need.
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