: Re: Where does the "black moment" fall in a novel? I'm currently learning about story structure and there's not much consensus on the "black moment" or "all is lost lull" that happens around Act

@Holmes449

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I would say the "Black Moment" is anywhere from the 50% to 75% mark in the story. I would prefer "Darkest Hour", and instead of "Point of Death" the "Last Chance".

The Darkest Hour is when the MC (main character, main crew) stops believing the outcome they want is possible. If it is a romance, the partner they've been pursuing has left, or rejected them for lying or whatever; the MC believes they have lost their chance for romantic happiness.

In an action novel, the MC believes they will fail in their mission, the villains will prevail. Perhaps they are captured, or disabled, or the key event they thought it was crucial to prevent has in fact transpired, and they know it. The villain found the magic amulet and has proven they know how to use it.

This Darkest Hour will generally be followed by some reversal of fortune (a good thing). e.g. The imprisoned hero learns how she could stop the villain, but obviously cannot do anything about it. But the bumbling cowardly sidekick manages to find their courage and sneak the imprisoned hero a paper clip, and that's all she needs to free herself, rescue said sidekick, and vanish into the night with her newfound knowledge.

The final Act of the play is about the Last Chance, the one last thing the MC can do to achieve their goal. It is the Risk It All point, in Poker it is All In, pushing all your chips into the pot to bet on a hand you aren't certain will win. In action stories often literally risking death, in other stories like Romance baring your soul, the telling of all secrets, despite expecting the worst.

Often this is overcoming a personality flaw, but it doesn't have to be. (007 never overcomes any personal flaws.)

This is just the MC betting it all, because nothing else has worked, this is her last idea and nothing else matters to her. Not money or respect, nor her fame or her life. For her, defeat is not an option: It may be her fate, but it will not be by her decision or surrender. She's All In.

And that decision whenever it is made, leads to the finale.

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