Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • About Martha
  • Books
    • Creativity
    • Writing
    • Fiction
  • Blog
  • Media
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Email Sign Up

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter

  • Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Martha Alderson

Plot Consultant

  • Home
  • About Martha
  • Books
    • Creativity
    • Writing
    • Fiction
  • Blog
  • Media
  • Contact

Crossing Thresholds

January 14, 2010 By Martha Alderson

Take advantage of every moment your protagonist crosses from one symbolic place to another. Every threshold has the potential to alert the reader, audience that the character is transitioning from the known to the unknown = creates excitement, expectancy, and an element of fear of the unknown in both the character and the reader.

The use of crossing a threshold is especially effective when the character moves from the Beginning (1/4) to the Middle (1/2). After the scene that represents the End of the Beginning, the character crosses over into the Middle. This is a big moment and often comes as the character leaves her world over everyday ordinary for the exotic world of the unknown.

Another symbolic moment is when the character leaves the Middle and moves into the End (1/4). You will likely find other thresholds or transition to take advantage of in your story.

This moment of crossing over the threshold deserves a emphasis with the use of pacing and introduction of authentic details and “showing” (not telling) the character’s emotional anticipation of the moment of crossing, the actual sensations as it happens, and possibly the reaction when the action is complete and the character understands there is no turning back.

The character will likely be confronted with Threshold Guardians, but for now, go through your manuscript and locate any sections that could constitute a threshold. Rewrite that section to give it the significance it deserves.

For more on Crossing the Threshold:
  • 2nd Annual International Plot Writing Month — Day Twenty 
  • A Tough Nut to Crack
Previous Post: « Blah Protagonist
Next Post: Writers on the Hero’s Journey »

Primary Sidebar

Search

Email Sign Up

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter


Shop for Books for Writers and Creatives

plot whisperer resources

Boundless Creativity Workbook

Faced with unprecedented challenges, now is a great time to escape 
into creativity and reconnect with your inner self

Follow Me!

Follow Me on FacebookFollow Me on YouTubeFollow Me on PinterestFollow Me on InstagramFollow Me on LinkedIn

Archives

Recent Posts

  • The Plot Whisperer Returns!
  • How to Create an Elegant Transition
  • Plot Planner as a Story Vision Board
  • 15 Tips to Create a Compelling Plot for Your Story

Footer

About Martha

Martha lives at the beach along the central coast of California and draws inspiration from the surrounding nature. When not at the beach, she writes women’s fiction and is exploring what it means to leave a lasting legacy. [Read More] about About Martha

Email Sign Up

Sign-up for Martha’s Newsletter


Follow Me!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on InstagramFollow Us on PinterestFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on LinkedIn

The secret to having what you want in life is to view all challenges and obstacles through the Universal Story.

Copyright © 2025 Martha Alderson | · Log in | Website by-Askmepc