This week: The Point of No Return Edited by: Jeff  
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"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
— Amelia Earhart
About The Editor: Greetings! My name is Jeff and I'm one of the regular editors of the official Action/Adventure Newsletter! I've been a member of Writing.com since 2003, and have edited more than 400 newsletters across the site in that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me directly or submit feedback in the comment box at the bottom of this newsletter. |
The Point of No Return
If you study action/adventure story structure for any amount of time, you'll probably happen across a discussion of the "point of no return" in a story. It usually occurs early on, before the events of the story truly kick into high gear, and it represents the point at which the protagonist no longer has the option of returning to a normal life again.
When you think about action/adventure stories, it kind of makes sense; these are often stories of risk and danger. And once the going gets tough, if you have the option of packing up and going home, what's to stop you from doing so? Maybe searching for the lost Ark of the Covenant sounded like a good idea at the time, but once Nazis start shooting at you, maybe you realize you're in over your head and want to just throw in the towel.
That's why writers in this genre often need to come up with some reason why that can't happen.
In Jurassic Park, a tropical storm rolls in and Nedry sabotages the park, leaving the characters stuck in a park with dinosaurs roaming around.
In Die Hard, terrorists take over Nakatomi Tower, preventing anyone from leaving the building.
In The Matrix, Neo takes the red pill, literally waking up from the false reality he was living in.
In Lord of the Rings, Frodo has to set out to take the One Ring to Mount Doom; if he stays in the Shire, Sauron's forces will come for him.
In Romeo & Juliet, the star-crossed lovers meet at a party and couldn't possibly go back to their normal lives once they realize they belong to rival families.
When you're writing your own stories of high risk adventures, daring do, and exciting action, don't skimp on the thought and preparation that goes into identifying the point of no return for the characters and establishing why they can't return to a normal life until they've resolved the narrative they've embarked upon. You can use the basic conflict types to come up with an appropriate mechanism that causes the point of no return:
 Man vs. Man (some other character is preventing them from returning home)
Man vs. Nature (some situation is preventing them from returning home)
Man vs. Self (some internal quality or conviction is preventing them from returning home
Other than a lack of exciting action and adventure elements, the most damaging thing that a writer in this genre can do is leave the door open for the character to opt out of the events of the story at any time. If the character can pack up and go home at any time, the audience will start asking why they don't; why they would undertake such a risky proposition when safety and security is back home waiting for them whenever they want.
At that point, it becomes a very difficult balance trying to come up with action and adventure elements that are thrilling enough to keep the audience interested without making them sit up and wonder why anyone, given the choice, would choose to take the risk the character needs to in order for the story to continue on.
Until next time,
Jeff
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Action/Adventure: September 17, 2025 Issue [#13352]
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