Seven-Point Structure
Dan Wells's Seven-Point Structure is a writer's structure — it thinks in terms of character decisions, not page counts. Hook, Plot Turn 1, Pinch 1, Midpoint, Pinch 2, Plot Turn 2, Resolution. The two pinch points are the trick: moments when the antagonist applies maximum pressure.
Novelists crossing over to screenwriting, genre fiction (especially mystery and thriller), and writers who find page-count-locked structures constraining. The pinch points make this particularly good for stories with active antagonists.
The beats
- 1Hook
The opposite of the protagonist's final state — establish the starting point.
- 2Plot Turn 1
Call to adventure — the world changes and the story begins.
- 3Pinch Point 1
Pressure from the antagonist forces the protagonist forward.
- 4Midpoint
The protagonist moves from reaction to action.
- 5Pinch Point 2
Second major pressure — the stakes feel overwhelming.
- 6Plot Turn 2
The final piece falls into place — everything the hero needs.
- 7Resolution
The hero's final state — opposite of the Hook.
How to use it
Write the Hook and the Resolution first — the opposite states of the protagonist. Then place the Midpoint as the moment they shift from reaction to action. The pinch points land at the 3/8 and 5/8 marks; use them for your antagonist's two big moves.
Example
Hook: Richard Kimble's wife is murdered; he's convicted. Plot Turn 1: the prison-bus escape. Pinch 1: Gerard identifies the one-armed man theory and rejects it — the hunter closes in. Midpoint: Kimble shifts from running to investigating. Pinch 2: Nichols's betrayal revealed, framing deepens. Plot Turn 2: hospital confrontation. Resolution: Kimble clears his name, Gerard acknowledges the truth.
Common pitfalls
- Soft Pinch points. Both pinches are antagonist showings of force — not setbacks, threats.
- Midpoint as a twist. It's a shift from reactive to proactive — same character, different stance.
- Resolution that mirrors the Hook. The protagonist must end at the opposite — Hook is bait, Resolution is reckoning.
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