![\"\"](\"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/PrisonResize-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBetween the Second Pinch Point and the Third Plot Point, there is going to be more victory for your MC. Sure, he\u2019s still struggled, but it\u2019s mostly been an upward climb. He\u2019s feeling pretty good about himself\u2026 he thinks he can take a little bit of the Truth, yet still keep his Lie. And, outwardly, it does appear to be working. Maybe\u2026 just maybe this will actually work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This point in the story is often where we find something called the False Victory. Either your MC believes they have <\/em>won (by defeating the antagonist\u2014or who appears to be the antagonist, or gaining their Want\u2014or appearing to have gained their Want, etc.), or victory seems to be very close at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than any other time in the story, everything seems to be going exactly as the MC planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cBeyond the Mask\u201d Will meets up with Charlotte at the Mayor\u2019s Ball, planning to put a stop to George Washington\u2019s assassination, defeat Charles Kemp, and redeem himself\u2014all at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d the False Victory actually takes place after the Midpoint. Since this is a short story, it works out, and the Second Pinch Point leads right into the Third Plot Point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the Third Plot Point strikes, and the 3rd<\/sup> Act begins. This plot point is also refered to as the Low Point, Low Moment, or the Dark Night of the Soul. If you can picture their character arc as a line graph, this is where they hit rock bottom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the Third Plot Point, I do want to mention one more thing. While, at any time during the story, you should be bringing together different elements from the backstory and from earlier in the story, the Third Plot Point is the best place to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step back and look at your story. What are some important elements from earlier on? Perhaps the MC and a relationship character have a particular saying they quote. Perhaps a Bible verse was read in an earlier scene. Perhaps a supporting character wears a signature, tattered baseball cap. Or maybe your antagonist\u2014unknown to the MC earlier\u2014said something cryptic in the First Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever it may be, take that to its full extent and potential during the Third Plot Point and Climax (which we\u2019ll talk about next time). The saying ends up coming true in an unusual and powerful way (or perhaps ends up being false). The MC recalls the Bible verse during the low moment, and it helps him turn to Christ. The tattered baseball cap floats gently on top of the water after the supporting character tragically drowns. The antagonist reveals the meaning of his cryptic message, and it turns out to be something the MC never expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drawing from different moments during the story can make things flow better, and can also help your audience better understand the plot. As a bonus, items, events, or words with symbolic meaning attached to them can illustrate the Theme, the Truth, and the Lie more clearly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several elements that will help produce a truly spectacular Third Plot Point, so let\u2019s take a look at them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the False Victory, your MC will experience both defeat and failure. The defeat will come from the antagonist finally gaining the upper hand, while the failure will come from the MC making some kind of mistake or bad decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plotwise, this will result in the MC becoming trapped\u2014with seemingly no way out. From the character arc angle, this will cause the MC to see their Lie for what it really is\u2026 and the path down which is leads (more on this later). This works perfectly because the antagonist\u2014who defeated the MC\u2014represents<\/em> the Lie (or a worse version of it), and the MC failed because of their belief<\/em> in the Lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Any way you look at it, the Lie is responsible for the defeat and failure in the Third Plot Point. And, while the MC has been ignoring that fact the entire story, it\u2019s now too obvious to deny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d Will is defeated when Charles Kemp convinces George Washington that he is responsible for the assassination attempt\u2014and for the other crimes associated with the EIC. Will knows that he is also to blame, however, because he waited to turn in Kemp in order to redeem his own name. As a result, Will is sentenced to hanging and shoved into a prison carriage\u2014while Kemp remains free to carry out his plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d the defeat came at the end of the Second Pinch Point, when Tad is forced to flee from the tenement house, leaving Ava in the clutches of Mr. Beasley. He tries to find Reverend Sheppard, but the church is empty. Tad then realizes that he could have avoided it all if only he had accepted the help when it was offered to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When deciding what kind of defeat your MC should encounter at the Third Plot Point, think about what is most dear to him. Think about what he cares about most in the world. And then take it from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sounds a little harsh, doesn\u2019t it? Well, yes, but it\u2019s the only way your MC is going to learn his lesson. You must strip him of everything, leaving him in the dust to face himself for who he really, truly is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing dearest to Will is obviously Charlotte. So, what happens? She is utterly horrified that he would let people die to earn his own redemption, and chooses not to speak up on his behalf. Kemp sums it up when he tells Will, \u201cYou and Charlotte were never the same sort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The thing Tad most cares about is his sister. And now he\u2019s come to the realization that his stubbornness has gotten her locked away in some dark room in the tenement house, while he is powerless to save her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This element is optional, but some type of revelation at the Third Plot Point can often help to drive in the sense of defeat. This revelation can have to do with the antagonist\u2014who he is, or the full extent of his plans. It also could pertain to a supporting character\u2026 perhaps they betray the MC in some way. Often, the plot revelation has something to do with the MC\u2019s past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This plot revelation will have been foreshadowed all along, but the MC will be totally stunned by it. As the writer, you can choose to allow the audience to see the revelation coming, or you can keep it hidden from them, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d Will produces the papers that he staked his life on, only to realize that Kemp had switched them earlier with blank pages. This is something that he never bargained for, and leaves him reeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d there is no plot revelation. This story is generally focused more on internal conflict than external, so there\u2019s no need for a revelation. If your story is also more centered on the character arc rather than the plot, it\u2019s perfectly acceptable to choose to forgo a plot revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Third Plot Point is where death is going to be represented in some way. This is often where you see the death of a supporting character or the impending death of either the MC or a supporting character. However, if you don\u2019t want to include physical death in this part of the story, you can also use symbolism to represent it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d Will\u2019s sentence to death\u2014as well as the deaths that will happen as a result of Kemp\u2019s plans\u2014bring an even more serious shadow over the Third Plot Point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d death is represented symbolically as Tad\u2019s dreams and plans come crashing down around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This dichotomy has been the crowning jewel of the entire story. Throughout the ups and downs, the conflict between the Truth and the Lie has always been there. And now, we get to see it presented right in front of us. The Truth\u2014in all of its brilliant colors and costly sacrifices\u2014and the Lie\u2014in all of its empty, enslaving ways, and its offer of security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The MC will finally see that he can\u2019t have both\u2026 he must choose one or the other. Either he can continue to believe his Lie\u2014which got him into the mess he\u2019s now in\u2014or he believes the Truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d we see the Truth portrayed when Charlotte tells Will: \u201cDon\u2019t you know? Neither redemption\u2014nor love\u2014can ever be earned. You have but to ask. They\u2019re both gifts\u2026 gifts to be granted freely from the heart of God. And from my heart to yours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contrasting that, the Lie is also stated. When Basil, the right-hand man, tells Kemp, \u201cYou\u2019re a genius, sir,\u201d Kemp responds by saying, \u201cNo, it was easy, actually. He was in business for himself all along.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d Tad reflects on his situation, clearly stating the Truth and the Lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is another conflict that has been there since the beginning of the story. Remember the two types of Wants that we discussed at the beginning of this series? Well, this is where the MC is going to realize that he must let go of the Want altogether (or that he must first embrace the Need before he can gain the Want).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d the reverend who visits Will reiterates what Charlotte had earlier told him\u2014that he cannot gain redemption until he gains salvation through Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d Tad realizes that he cannot gain total protection for his sister. Instead, he must embrace the Need of salvation in order to realize that he and Ava will be safe in God\u2019s hands wherever they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your Third Plot Point has come down to this moment right here. The MC is at the very bottom, and it would seem that all is lost. He\u2019s now faced with the Truth vs. the Lie and the Want vs. the Need. What will he choose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a Positive Change Arc, he chooses Truth. Truth over life, over victory, over his Want, over all of his goals. Because he\u2019s now come to realize that the Truth is priceless. He\u2019s committed to what Proverbs says, \u201cBuy the truth and sell it not.\u201d And there\u2019s no turning back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d Will finally recognizes that he has \u201cstrived in vain\u201d to earn redemption. He realizes that the price for redemption has already been paid, and trusts in Jesus alone to save him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d Tad sees his need for help from above. He stops rejecting the pardon offered him, and finally receives security of the soul through salvation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Third Plot Point, as I said before, is probably the most important plot point in your story, so don\u2019t be afraid to give it everything you\u2019ve got. Make it as memorable and impacting as you can. If you\u2019ve done it right, your audience will be immersed in the story, embracing the Truth right along with the MC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few more Third Plot Points to look at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comment below your favorite book or movie\u2019s Third Plot Point!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today, we\u2019re talking about the Third Plot Point\u2014arguably the most important plot point in your story (and also my favorite). It\u2019s vital that you get this plot point right, so stay tuned as we dive right in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,21,4],"tags":[24,26,29,114,23,32,33,113,27],"class_list":["post-579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plots-and-character-arcs","category-positive-change-arcs","category-writing-tips","tag-character-arcs","tag-characters","tag-christian-writing","tag-plot-points","tag-plots","tag-positive-change-arcs","tag-protagonist","tag-third-plot-point","tag-writing-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=579"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":581,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579\/revisions\/581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n