My Dog taught me what's the Midpoint

Welcome, Storyteller!

Let me introduce you to this beautiful creature: her name’s Greta. Five years ago, while walking her, I realized two main things:

1.     I wanted to teach creative writing.

2.    I finally understood what a midpoint in a story really is.

Yes, a very magical dog indeed! But let me start from the beginning.

My personal story

It was 2020, the Covid year. I had just enrolled in the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting — a dream come true after four years of trying to get in. All I could talk about back then was Three-Act Structure, Plot Points, and Character Arcs.

Every evening, I would let Greta take me for a walk during my study breaks. We always followed the same route. We lived in a small countryside village in Sardinia, surrounded by green trees, quiet paths, and the smell of earth after rain.

Everything was ordinary — until one day I noticed something.
At the exact halfway point of our route, Greta would always slow down, almost stop. Always in the same spot.

She was already quite old and suffered from diabetes, so I didn’t want her to get too tired. Every time, I’d ask myself: Should we turn back? But it didn’t make sense — we were halfway anyway. Our midpoint! We might as well keep going and finish the route.

That’s when it hit me: If I ever teach storytelling, I’ll tell my students this story. Because plot points aren’t just something you impose on a story — they emerge naturally, from life, from our own routes.

After that halfway moment, Greta would start walking normally again, climb the last big hill (our final climax), and head home.

Now, let’s talk for a moment about midpoints in storytelling.

What is the midpoint in a story?

They’re those moments halfway through the narrative — in a two-hour film, usually between minute 55 and 65 — when something shifts.
There’s no going back, but there’s a new awareness, a new direction.

Here are some examples of midpoints in movies:

My Best Friend’s Wedding (min. 55):
Julianne and Michael spend time alone on a boat. The setting feels romantic — she almost believes he might love her back — but then he talks to her as a friend, not a lover. Emotional Midpoint: Julianne realizes that winning him over won’t be as simple as she imagined. The fantasy begins to crack, and her actions from now on come from desperation.

La La Land (min. 56-60):
At the Griffith Observatory, Mia and Sebastian share their first kiss and dance among the stars. This is the moment their love story truly begins. Emotional Midpoint: Their dreams and ambitions are now intertwined — love feels limitless.

Interstellar (min. 55-60):
When Cooper and Brand return to the Endurance, 23 years have passed, and now Murph is an adult. Emotional Midpoint: Cooper watches decades of video messages from his children, realizing how much time he’s lost.

What's your midpoint?

And you? Have you have experienced a midpoint in your life? Feel free to share a comment below!

Love, Lisa.