If you’re a plotter, or if you read Heather’s O is for Outlines post, you know about tentpoles. These are crucial events in every story that give the plot a shape. Pinch points act like the secondary flanking poles on your tent. They prop up the story structure between the first plotpoint and the midpoint, and again between the midpoint and the climax.
Pinch points are used to make the intentions of the antagonistic force known to the protagonist. A pinch point helps drive the story narrative and creates reader interest in the protagonist winning.
3 Tips for using Pinch Points
Make them clear. Pinch points act as signposts. They need to reinforce who/what the antagonistic force is, and remind the reader why the protagonist needs to win. The first pinch often restates an aspect of the main conflict or ups the stakes. The second pinch point will focus on the remaining problems the protagonist needs to overcome before climax.
Make the complication hurt! A great pinch point should feel like the author squeezed the character’s head (or heart) in a vise. They are often used to increase the character’s internal conflict. Some writers believe they should only be used for internal stakes. Other writers feel any type stakes are fine as long as it brings the reader’s focus back to the antagonist.
There is no limit on pinch points. You can create a third (or even more) pinch points. However, you don’t want to omit the two traditional pinch points. These two points should fall around the 35% and 60% marks. Using more pinch points helps to keep the tension high. Thrillers use lots of pinch points.
2 Examples of Pinch Points
I picked HUNGER GAMES for both of my examples. The reason this book works so well is we’re seldom allowed to forget the stakes and pinch points abound.
The first pinch is when Katniss encounters an Avox. This is someone convicted of being a traitor to the Capital. The Capital has cut out their tongue and forced them into a life of slavery. The Avox is a symbol of Capital oppression and the barbarism that lingers behind the façade of civility and refinement. Meeting the Avox make Katniss aware of the price of defiance, a theme that will reappear later.
The second pinch point is after the Gamemakers change the rules to allow a District pair to win. Instead of a healthy partner, Katniss finds the injured Peeta. The Gamemakers reaffirm their barbarism by forcing Katniss to return to the killing zone at the cornucopia to get the supplies she needs to save Peeta’s life.
1 Link for more help
We’ve never written about pinch points before so I’m passing on a link from Story Fix. Here you will find an analysis of pinch points used in the novel in THE HELP.