The turning point of a story: what changes and why
In many stories there is a turning point, a moment when something changes. Before it, the character has a problem or a feeling. After it, the character acts differently, and the mood changes. To find the turning point, ask: When does the character make a decision or learn something? What does the character do next? What is the feeling before and after? Writers often show the change with a short sentence, a sudden event or a new action: Then she looked up. Notice the mood before (tense, silent, embarrassed) and after (relaxed, happy, hopeful). To explain it, write: The turning point is when … because … After this, the mood changes from … to … . In your reader, Chapter 5 is on pages 29 to 33. Read it and think about where the story changes, but do not retell it here.
| Question | Answer for our story |
|---|---|
| Problem before? | Mariam forgets her line in front of the class |
| Turning point? | She sees the king’s slipped crown and laughs |
| Next action? | She makes a joke and goes on |
| Mood change? | embarrassed and tense to relaxed and cheerful |
The hall was silent. Mariam stood in the middle of the stage with a paper crown on her head and her mouth open. Her line had gone. Twenty classmates waited, and the teacher, Ms Dalia, lifted her pencil. Mariam felt her cheeks go hot. She wanted to run behind the curtain. Then she looked at Youssef, who played the old king, and she saw that he was trying not to laugh at her crown, which had slipped over one eye. She pushed it back, laughed and said, “Your Majesty, I forgot everything except that I am delighted to see you.” The hall filled with laughter. Ms Dalia smiled and wrote something down. The next time Mariam forgot a line, she did not run. She waited, breathed and began again.
Turning point map. Think of a film or a story that you know well. Draw a line with three boxes: before, the turning point, after. In each box write one sentence and the mood. Write one sentence that begins “The turning point is when …”. Do not retell the whole story.