In between the Midpoint and the Second Pinch Point, things start going well for the MC. They’ve gone from reaction to action, and they’re finally fighting back against the antagonist. Perhaps they defeat some of his goons, discover a clue to his hideout, or find out more about his identity. They’re getting closer and closer to the truth.
But if you know anything about the pinch points, you know that they’re supposed to pinch. The Second Pinch Point is where the antagonist—and the Lie—manifest themselves once more. While the MC has been busy fighting back, they may have temporarily forgotten how strong the antagonist really is. And this pinch point serves as a reminder of that.
Now, in this pinch point, the MC doesn’t necessarily lose. But now they’ve been fully refreshed on how hard the antagonist is to beat. And they know that he’s got something much worse up his sleeve.
Let’s take a look at some elements to include in a Second Pinch Point:
- The antagonist’s reminder/a sense of foreboding
The MC will slowly begin to realize that a much bigger battle is yet to come. The Second Pinch Point is just a taste of the antagonist’s—and the Lie’s—power. If they are to succeed, they must gear themselves up for a long and weary battle.
In “The Basket of Flowers,” Mary and her father settle down happily on Elijah and Sarah’s farm. But when Mary’s father falls ill and dies, this serves as a huge blow to Mary (arguably too big of a blow for a Second Pinch Point, but nothing’s perfect). This reminds her that trials are yet to come… her journey isn’t over. Meanwhile, back at the castle, Juliette continues to spread lies about Mary, even after the ring is found in a bird’s nest.
In “Pendragon,” Caydern betrays Wenneveria into the hands of the Saxons, knowing full well that they will kill her. Also, he assigns Artos’ loyal men to the front lines where they are in a position of danger.
- The set-up/the stakes
The pace of the story is increasing, and things are beginning to come together. In a mystery novel, this would be where the detective begins to see patterns in the clues, and the key to it all seems to be almost within his grasp.
Tension is rising. The audience knows that it’s only a matter of time before something happens. But they have no idea what that something is.
The Second Pinch Point serves as a reminder to the MC of what’s at stake. The MC needs to have the whole thing spread out before them: This is what happens if they win, and that is what happens if they lose.
This will serve to put even greater pressure on them as they realize that all that they hold dear is at stake. They must prevail—they must.
In “The Basket of Flowers,” some set-up happens with Mary’s father’s death, as well as Elijah and Sarah handing over the farm to Amos and Helen. Now, Mary is completely at the mercy of the spiteful; Helen, who would like nothing more than to get rid of her. Mary tries to be at peace, yet she knows that Helen will take action sooner rather than later.
As far as the stakes. Mary’s religious stability is on the line. If she chooses to doubt God now, she may very well doubt him in the future. (This has nothing to do with losing your salvation, just to clarify. 😉 ) Furthermore, she will be admitting to everyone else around her that she does not think God is trustworthy enough.
In “Pendragon,” the set-up is really quite brilliant. The first time I watched this movie, I wondered how everyone was going to come together at the end. After all, Brotus and the others are at the front lines, Wenneveria is in the Saxon prison, Caydern is lounging in a tent somewhere behind the scenes, and Artos could literally be anywhere in Britannia.
Yet a few actions on Caydern’s part sets the ball rolling for all of the characters to come together during the Climax. Placing Artos’ loyal men on the front lines ensures that Artos will be present to negotiate with Caydern on their behalf. Sending the rest of the army away from the battlefield puts them in the right place to be intercepted by Wenneveria later on. Everything is starting to come together, and the audience is at the edge of their seats.
- The Lie
This is where the Lie-driven characters will fight back. Just as the MC needs to be reminded of the antagonist and the stakes, they also need to be reminded of the Lie.
This “reminder” could come in many different ways, but I would suggest intertwining it with the rest of the Second Pinch Point so that the same event affects the MC both externally and internally.
The MC will be reminded that the war is not over. The final confrontation between the Truth and the Lie—the thing they tried to avoid in the First Act—is soon in coming. It won’t be long before the Truth will be put to the ultimate test by going head-to-head with the Lie. And no matter how much the MC trusts the Truth, there’s still that nagging question, “Will it be enough?”
Can the Truth really defeat the Lie? Is it really strong enough to conquer the whole World of Lie-driven people? Well, your MC knows that they’re about to find out.
In “The Basket of Flowers,” Helen yells at Mary as her father lies dying, telling her to curse God and put an end to everything. She hurls all of Mary’s own doubts back into her face with such vehemence that Mary can’t help but feel her faith weakening—if only just a little.
In “Pendragon,” Artos is truly alone. Wenneveria is being held captive by the Saxons, and his own men have been placed in danger. He knows it’s up to him to try and put a stop to everything. But can he? Will God really give him the strength he needs to do this? Artos is really feeling the pressure… he has no choice but to move ahead, but the doubts still echo in his mind.
So there you have it… the Second Pinch Point! As you move on to create your own pinch point, I would suggest really focusing on that foreboding sense and really heightening the tension. Things may go fairly smoothly for the MC after the Second Pinch Point, but it’s going to be like the calm before the storm—they know that any moment now, the bad guy is going to jump out at them with the Lie and a whole lot of plot twists.
You’re also free to add a False Victory in between the Second Pinch Point and the Third Plot Point. This is where the MC will seem to prevail and achieve their Goal. A False Victory will pave the way for the Third Plot Point reveals to be even more shocking, and for the sudden downhill road to seem more like a cliff.
Here are a few more examples of the Second Pinch Point:
- The giants ransack the BFG’s house to look for Sophie (“The BFG”)
- Wall-E and Eve rescue the plant from being ejected from an escape pod (“Wall-E”)
- Will’s former deputy tries to force him to leave (“High Noon”)
- Millicent breaks into the Browns’ house, and Paddington is blamed (“Paddington”)
Comment below the Second Pinch Point of your favorite book or movie!