Look, I’m wearing a shirt! I'm wearing a Butters shirt, Butters! You're on my shirt! See, look!
You’re on my shirt! The resemblance is uncanny! (Laughs)
(The sound of a pen scratching.) LOGO.
Hellooo everybody! Today we're talking about one of the MOST important plot points in a
VAST majority of novels, and that is the breaking point. I talked about the breaking point roughly a
MILLION years ago, but you guys still had a lot of really good questions, and that's why we're
talking about it again today! I'm answering your top 10 questions about writing breaking points
so you can crush your readers into oblivion in the most effective way possible. Before we
get started, thank you SO much to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video! Skillshare is
an online learning community just for creators. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a total newbie,
doesn't matter! They've got classes for ya! Tons of people come together on Skillshare in order
to take their next step in creativity. They've got THOUSANDS of classes at ALL skill levels
in design, illustration, web design, business, and of course, creative writing! Most classes
are less than 60 minutes long, so they're super easy to work into your schedule. I like to use
them as rewards once I have completed one of my writing goals. It's awesome! I'm also a teacher
on Skillshare. I've got two classes all about digital marketing for writers. One is about
how to grow your author platform, the other is my personal step-by-step process for releasing
a book with little to no assistance. Skillshare has some goodies for you guys! Stick around until
the end of this video for details. First, let's tackle your questions all about writing breaking
points! And if you want any other writing advice, be sure to subscribe to my channel! I post videos
on Wednesdays. I also sprinkle around bonus videos from time to time, which is why you
should totally ring that bell! It will alert you as soon as I upload! Number One (1): What
the hell is a breaking point? The breaking point is the point in your novel where your
main character breaks down. Something DEVASTATING happens. The MC is delivered a really hard blow,
usually in relation to the goal they're trying to achieve, and they lose hope. A good breaking point
is designed to upset the reader. They're either going to be angry and devastated alongside the MC,
or they're going to be angry AT the MC for giving up on their goal. Number Two (2): How come I've
never heard of a breaking point? If you’ve studied story structure, you probably HAVE heard of the
breaking point but just don't know it, because it's not always referred to as ‘the breaking
point.’ Sometimes it's called ‘the crisis,’ ‘the black moment,’ ‘all is lost,’ and so on. Different
structures like to call it different things, but ultimately it's basically the same shit,
different name. Number Three (3): What types of genres feature the breaking point? All of ‘em! A
lot of people assume breaking points are specific to adventure novels, especially if there is a
hero involved, but breaking points are utilized across all fictional genres. In romance novels,
the breaking point usually involves a breakup or a fight or some type of estrangement. In crime
fiction, the breaking point is usually when the lead detective is suspended or removed from a
case. Remember, this is the lowest point for your character in that story. It doesn't have to be
life or death if the stakes aren't THAT high. Basically, if your book is fiction, it CAN and
probably SHOULD feature a breaking point. Number Four (4): When does the breaking point occur? The
breaking point almost always occurs toward the end of the book before the climax. If you're
using the three-act structure, the breaking point is often referred to as ‘the break into Act III.’
The climax is usually the most adrenalized moment in the book, so having your character transition
from being completely hopeless to working their ass off to achieve their goal is very appealing
to the reader. Your character is at rock bottom and has to climb their way to the peak of that
climax. Right, Butters? Look at you! You're so smart! You're just taking in all the information
so you can write your own book! What's it gonna be about? Is it gonna be about kisses? Number
Five (5): Why is the breaking point so important? The breaking point is often cited as one of
the most important plot points because all that drama and emotion will make the main character’s
inevitable triumph - aka the climax and resolution - ALL the more satisfying. Typically, as the
story progresses, your character gets closer and closer toward achieving their goal. If all they
experience are wins along the way, it's not really emotionally impactful nor is it relatable. The
breaking point gives your main character a MASSIVE fail right before they go up against their goal,
in theory for the last time. This ups your stakes to the highest level, which is EXACTLY what you
want right before the climax. Additionally, if your character succeeds during the climax
and achieves their goal, it will feel a lot more deserved thanks to the breaking point. We don't
enjoy media where things come easily because again, we can't relate. Struggle, effort, and
tenacity makes a character's triumph feel earned. The breaking point does double duty for the
author, because it's both emotionally devastating for the reader as well as planting seeds toward an
epic climax. Number Six (6): How do I choose my character's breaking point? Again, the breaking
point is your character's lowest point within the story. So given everything you know about the
plot and the character, ask yourself, “What’s the absolute worst thing that could happen to them?”
This is why romances often feature a breakup or estrangement as the breaking point. The story
revolves around a relationship, so taking that away is devastating. Looking at crime novels, if a
detective is passionate about a case and SO close to solving it and then is suddenly kicked off the
case and fired, that's going to be a huge blow, not only to their career but also emotionally.
Death is also a breaking point. For example, the main character's friend or family member dies,
ESPECIALLY if it's partly their fault. Ultimately, the breaking point you choose is going to depend
on the character in question, the plot you're writing, and the trajectory of your story.
Number Seven (7): How is my character supposed to react? Well, they're supposed to break. Obviously.
The reader needs to see the character at a new emotional low in the story. This could be sadness,
anger, depression, even rage. How they initially react is going to depend on the context,
but typically, the MC reacts poorly. For example, in hero stories, especially ones that involve a
team, the MC often quits. “I don't wanna play anymore!” They lose hope and thus don't believe
in the cause anymore, or don't believe that their goal is achievable. However, after a bit of time
in their funk, another plot point happens that reminds them why they joined this cause in the
first place or reignites their desire to achieve their goal. Using the hero example, it could be
an attack from the enemy or seeing more innocent lives lost. They realize they can't abandon their
goal and suit up yet again. Think of the breaking point as the ashes your phoenix character must
rise from. Number Eight (8): What makes a GOOD breaking point? Usually, a good breaking point
is linked to the plot or goal of the story. If your character is trying to solve a murder case
and their breaking point is the death of their father from cancer, that's sad as hell but it has
NOTHING to do with the plot. However, if their father is killed by the murderer in question,
that's a LOT more effective because it's DIRECTLY related to the plot. Plus, it'll evoke a lot of
guilt in the MC. They took the case, and thus they put their father at risk. And as we've covered,
a good breaking point needs to be both emotional for the reader and the character. The MC needs
to have some kind of emotional reaction that's both relevant to the situation as
well as keeping within their character. That means if your character has been nothing but a
soft, spongy cinnamon roll throughout the entire story and their breaking point throws them into
a violent rage, that's gonna be a hard sell. But anger, tears, or angry tears could totally work
depending on the context. Number Nine (9): “I'm still struggling to understand breaking points.
How can I fix this?” The easiest way to understand how to write a good breaking point is to research
breaking points. That means you gotta read some books and watch some movies with a writer's eye.
If you need baby steps, start with Disney movies. There is a breaking point in literally every
single Disney movie that I've seen, because again, they're VERY effective. In Aladdin, the breaking
point is when Jafar exposes Aladdin as a liar and shoots him off into the desert. (Sings) “So, Ali
turns out to be merely Aladdin!” (Normal Voice) In Beauty and the Beast, its when Belle leaves
the castle and the Beast falls into a depression. Watch these movies, then work your way up to more
complex content and search for the breaking points. How are they written? What causes the
breaking points? How are the characters reacting? And more specifically, which breaking points did
you find MOST impactful and why? And Number Ten (10): Do I HAVE to write a breaking point? You
don't have to do anything. You can take a dump on a piece of paper and call it a manuscript for
all I care. But the breaking point is a PIVOTAL part of story structure, and more often than not,
it plays a vital role toward making the climax and resolution satisfying and effective. You may
be able to name some older works that don't have breaking points, but keep in mind storytelling
expectations change over the years. It's never a good idea to compare yourself to an author
from a hundred years ago. Outside of stories from yesteryear, I personally can't think of
a fictional novel that I've read that didn't have a breaking point. I'm sure they exist somewhere,
I just haven't found ‘em yet. So that's all I got for you today! Thank you SO much to Skillshare for
sponsoring today's video! If you're looking to take the next step in your creativity and learn
some new skills, I highly recommend Skillshare! Skillshare is SUPER affordable; an annual
subscription is less than $10.00 bucks a month. However, right now, you can get two months of
Skillshare Premium for FREE by clicking the link below! That's two months of access to THOUSANDS
of classes, including MY classes, and it's all completely free! But only the first 500 people
who click the link are gonna get it, so be sure to click! Get on it! Do it! Yeah! Don't forget
to subscribe to my channel! I post new videos on Wednesdays, and if you want to be alerted as SOON
as I upload, ring that bell! The Savior's Champion is available in ebook, paperback, hardback, signed
hardback, as well as audiobook! If you're new to audiobooks, you can listen to TSC on Audible for
free! I have all the info below! And be sure to follow me on social media! I’m on Instagram,
Tumblr, Facebook - and of course, you can Tweet me @JennaMoreci! Bye! (Rumbling Male Voice) This is
Brontes. Why, the fuck, haven't you subscribed to Jenna's channel? Do you really want to face me? If
you don't do it, you know what will happen. I'll rip out your tongue, torture you, then leave your
rotten corpse out for the birds to feast on it. Now press the goddamn button! And the bell, too...