A seven-beat framework that maps your story from hook to resolution, working backward from the ending to build a tightly structured plot.
The seven-point story structure, popularized by author Dan Wells, breaks a narrative into seven key beats: Hook, Plot Turn 1, Pinch Point 1, Midpoint, Pinch Point 2, Plot Turn 2, and Resolution. What makes this method distinctive is the way you build it. Instead of starting at the beginning and working forward, you start with the Resolution and work backward, ensuring every beat exists to serve the ending. It is a lean, focused framework that gives you just enough structure to keep your story on track without overcomplicating things.
The seven-point structure is especially useful if you find beat sheets like Save the Cat overwhelming but three-act structure too vague. It hits a sweet spot of specificity: detailed enough to guide you through the murky middle of your story, but simple enough to hold in your head while you write. The backward-building approach also forces you to think about story logic in reverse, which is one of the best ways to create a plot that feels inevitable rather than random.
Hook: Neo is a bored office worker searching for meaning. Resolution: Neo is 'The One' who can bend reality. Every beat between those two points drives his transformation with precision.
Hook: Katniss is a survivor trying to keep her family alive in poverty. Resolution: She becomes the symbol of rebellion against the Capitol. The seven beats trace her transformation from reluctant volunteer to defiant icon.
Hook: Luke is a bored farm kid dreaming of adventure. Midpoint: He commits to rescuing Princess Leia. Resolution: He destroys the Death Star and becomes a hero of the Rebellion.
Hook: Elizabeth is quick to judge and dismissive of Darcy. Midpoint: Darcy's letter forces her to reexamine her assumptions. Resolution: She sees clearly and chooses love with full understanding.
The power of this method is in reverse engineering. Start with your Resolution, then define the Hook as its opposite, then fill in the beats between. Working forward defeats the purpose.
The Hook and Resolution should be opposites or at least dramatically different states. If your character starts and ends in roughly the same place, the arc lacks transformation.
Pinch points need to genuinely squeeze your protagonist. If the pressure is not real, the midpoint shift from reactive to proactive will not feel earned.
Like any structure, this is a tool, not a prison. Some stories need the beats in slightly different positions, or need one beat to do double duty. Adapt it to your story.
Pick a story idea you have been thinking about and build it backward using all seven points. Start by writing one sentence for the Resolution. Then write one sentence for the Hook that is its opposite. Fill in the remaining five beats, always asking: 'What needs to happen before this beat to make it feel earned?' Do the whole exercise in under 30 minutes to keep it intuitive rather than overthought.