Any moment in a story where the direction of the narrative, the character's understanding, or the emotional trajectory shifts significantly.
A turning point is a moment where something changes in a way that cannot be undone. The story was going one direction, and now it is going another. Turning points can be external (a bomb goes off, a secret is revealed) or internal (a character realizes they have been wrong about everything). They can be loud or quiet, dramatic or subtle. What makes a moment a turning point is not its size but its irreversibility. After a real turning point, the story can never go back to the way it was before.
Turning points are what keep readers turning pages. Every time the story shifts, the reader has to recalculate: what does this mean for the characters, and where is this going now? Without turning points, a story is just a series of events in a row. With them, it is a journey that twists and surprises. They are also the moments that create emotional impact, because change is where all the drama lives.
The guilty verdict in Tom Robinson's trial is a turning point for Scout's understanding of justice, race, and the adult world. The town she thought she knew reveals itself to be something darker.
Walter White letting Jane die is a turning point that transforms him from a sympathetic man making desperate choices into someone willing to let people die for self-preservation. The audience's relationship with the character changes permanently.
Rue's death is a turning point on every level: it changes Katniss's strategy, her emotional state, and the thematic stakes of the story. After this moment, the Games are personal.
A complication makes things harder. A turning point changes direction. Your protagonist getting a flat tire is a complication. Your protagonist discovering the destination they were driving to no longer exists is a turning point.
If the story can snap back to its previous state after a turning point, it was not a real one. True turning points close doors. The character cannot unknow what they learned or undo what happened.
Too many turning points in quick succession creates whiplash. Too few creates boredom. Space them so the reader has time to absorb each shift before the next one hits.
Stories that rely solely on plot twists feel hollow. Balance external shifts with internal ones. The most memorable turning points change both the situation and the character simultaneously.
Pick a favorite novel or film and list every turning point you can identify. Sort them into categories: plot, character, thematic, and relationship. Notice which type the story relies on most and where the biggest concentration falls. Then apply this analysis to your own work in progress. Where are the turning points, and are you leaning too heavily on one type?