For this prompt, pick a scene where the point-of-view character needs to realize something. Or, if you’re revising, pick a scene where the character has an epiphany but the execution is pretty clumsy right now. (Need help finding such a scene? I’m thinking of the scene after the Dark Night of the Soul, where the answer Character needs has generally been available all along and something triggers Character to realize it.)

There are lots of ways to trigger Character’s epiphany, but for this prompt, we’re going to trigger it by something in the setting. So, pick your scene, note the epiphany Character needs to make, and note the scene’s setting.

Now make a list of all the stuff in the setting. Time of day, season, props, decor, costumes, etc.

From your list of stuff, pick something that could prompt a memory from the character’s past. Yesterday, ten years ago, it doesn’t matter how far in the past the memory is so long as Reader is familiar with the memory, having seen or heard about it before, and Character’s remembrance of this moment can lead to the epiphany. (The triggering element could be something you slip into both scenes on revision. Bonus if it’s thematic.)

So, you’ve got the epiphany, the memory that prompts it, and the memory-triggering element that can appear in both scenes.

Generally the epiphany choreography goes something like this: Character comes across some prop in the frontstory setting that reminds him of something similar from the past, a scene we’ve seen, when he, unknowingly at the time, had access to the answer he needs. He didn’t see the answer then, but he’s different now, knows more now, so, as he thinks about the memory, he sees the answer now.

Got it?

Write the scene.

Book that inspired this prompt

The book cover link above is an Affiliate Link, which means I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through this link, at no cost to you.  In other words, if you’re thinking of buying a copy of this book for your home craft library anyway, buying said copy through this link is a no-brainer way to help support this site. And I appreciate it. Thank you!

That’s it for me!

What about you? How do you realistically take your character to an epiphany? Tell us in the comments!

If you found this post helpful, please . . .

1. Like it and share it! There are share buttons below . . .

2. Subscribe to the Blog to receive the Tools in your inbox as soon as they post:

3. Subscribe to the Newsletter. It’s a monthly-to-quarterly-ish (that’s still vastly overstating it) newsletter to share news and free worksheets and whatnot. Your welcome email will include the 19-page Character Development Workbook. You can subscribe here.

4. And if you found it particularly helpful . . .

Also, people have been hiring me to review their loglines with the kind of analysis seen here and here, and I’m enjoying it. So, if you think your logline (or something else!) might benefit from a looksie and want to hire me to review it, email me at writeswithtools @ gmail dot com.

Thanks!