How to Design the Plot Framework of Urban Novels

2. The Turning Point of the plot

✅  2. The Turning Point of the plot  [From a Normalized Event to an Abnormalized Event]

⭕️ Where the Turning Point should be? 

- when the Cause turns to the Process, or the Process turns to the Climax.

⭕️ The Turning Point refers to the key to the transition "from a normalized event to an abnormal event".

⭕️ Many authors talk a lot about humiliating parts, but emotions are a process of accumulation and explosion.

>>> Counter-example: MC does housework at home every day, but one day he suddenly breaks out. 

[ This kind of plot lacks an emotional trigger, because the fact that MC does the housework is a normalized event, there’s not much negative emotions. ]

>>> Example A. 

The Turning Point - the Cause turning to Process

In book “The Billionaire Pauper”: MC delivers express (normalized event) → MC discovers his girlfriend having an affair while delivering the express to a hotel room (negative abnormal event)

In book “The Almighty Dragon General”: MC works as the warden in prison (normalized event) → the heroine suddenly comes to call off the engagement (negative abnormal event) → the MC receives a letter from his father stating that a marriage has been arranged for him (positive abnormal event).

>>>Example B: 

The Plot Triggers - the Process turning into the Climax

In book “The Charismatic Charlie Wade”: The whole family takes turns humiliating the MC (a normalized event) → Grandma demands that the heroine divorces the MC and marry the villain (abnormal negative event), otherwise it is impossible to give money.

⭕️ Not only urban novels, but all novels basically share the same principle. In addition, abnormal events do not necessarily have to be negative.

>>> For example, in Harry Potter, Harry has been living in the stairwell all along, and one day he suddenly receives an admission letter from Hogwarts (Trigger Point).

⭕️ Try to Avoid 

###a. “Bullying scene” as the beginning of the story.

- Reason: Lack of good plot trigger points.

- How to solve: MC is beaten by a group of people, but he tolerates it because he wants to continue his studies (normalized event) → The principal not only ignores the fact, but announces that the MC has been dismissed after knowing the violence (abnormal event).

###b. “X days later” or “X months later”

- Reason: The Turning of events requires a tight rhythm.

- How to solve: The author can delete the previous useless descriptions and start writing directly from the plot of “X days later” or “X months later”.

>>> Counter-example:

MC doesn’t do a good job in the housework and is beaten by his mother-in-law (Chapter 1) → Two days later, the MC gets up and finds that today is his wedding anniversary, so he’s in a good mood and go to buy a gift. But when he returns home, he finds his wife having an affair (Chapter 2). 

Here, the content of Chapter 1 is invalid. Since the Trigger Point is the wife’s infidelity, there is no need to spend more time describing how the MC is humiliated by his mother-in-law.