The Magnificent 7: Plot Point 24

Plot Point #24 is the final beat of your story.  Chances are, you know this beat first when you create an idea.  It's always best to know where you're going when you take a journey, and while your characters might not know how it will turn out for them, you as the author should have this beat worked out from the start (of course, it could change during the writing process)

Plot Point #24 is not always the final confrontation. That often happens at Plot Point #23.

Instead, #24 is what comes after the dust settles. It’s the resolution. The aftermath. The return.

1. The Aftermath
We see the results of the final battle.

• Who survived
• What changed
• What it all meant
• 
  

2. The Return Home
The hero comes back, often transformed. Physically, emotionally, or psychologically.

• Plot Point #23: Dorothy confronts the Wizard and discovers he’s a fraud
• Plot Point #24: Dorothy returns home using the ruby slippers

The conflict ends at 23 and the story resolves at 24.

This is what your audience takes with them. Not the explosion. Not the final punch.

The feeling.

Plot Point #24 answers the ultimate question: What was this story really about? It gives meaning to everything that came before.

Whether it’s a quiet return, a victory lap, or a haunting final image, Plot Point #24 is your closing statement. Make it count. Because when the screen fades to black…

This is what lingers.