Plot Point 1- Rising Action
Plot Point #1: The point of no return. Your character makes a conscious decision to join the plot and move forward in the story. The first major turning point in the story. The key event.
You should be right about the end of page 4 and moving into page 5 at close to 1250 Words.
It can feel weird trying to figure out the key event for the story. To me, this is the portion of the story that always makes me the happiest. This is your why.
Why did you want to write this story?
Why does your character need to leave their old lives and move to something new?
Why your character has made a list of reasons to move forward, chuck it all, and start fresh without looking back.
The character is fully vested in the efforts, money has been committed, and the furniture is pack, sold, and given away to charity.
This is the one singular act, or multiple actions which fuels the plot and sets the protagonist off on their journey, forcing them out of their comfortable existence. There must be a strong reason that compels them to reluctantly accept this challenge. It's a point of no return and roughly where the traditional second act begins
Example: Think of Harry arriving at Hogwarts. Or Dorothy landing on the Wicked Witch, getting her shoes then meeting the Scarecrow. She can't go back, she has to move forward.
Other examples which can force a character to move forward in a story:
Your character is forced to move forward because the antagonist has killed, threatened, harmed, or kidnapped someone close to them, sweeping aside all hesitation in the hero’s mind.
Your character understands in turning back to their old life means returning to a life of unhappiness. They might realize they have to take risks to grow and change because they can’t go on living as they always have.
Your hero is trapped in a no win scenario with no other choice, for example, maybe they’re stuck on a ship and the rough weather doesn’t give them a choice regarding their path forward.
Your character desires for something that overrules all else and they’ll do anything to get or achieve it.
The hero is on a deadline to achieve something with personal consequences at stake.
Rising Action: Your main characters are tested, grow, and come ever closer to their transformation. This is the part of the plot where the journey and obstacles happen.
Rising Action in Ready Player One
What is the crisis, the climactic choice that Wade Watts, A.K.A. Parzival, has to make in Ready Player One?
First, a brief summary, in case you’re not familiar with the story. In a dystopian future, Wade Watts spends most of his time in a virtual reality world called the OASIS. Halliday, the rich and famous creator of the OASIS, has died, and he’s left an elaborate puzzle hidden in this virtual world to determine who will inherit his fortune and control of the OASIS. Wade stumbles upon the first clue, then races thousands of other hopeful puzzle-solvers to win the game.
The climactic choice/crisis: Go it alone and win the prize, OR accept help and share the winnings from the game with his friends?
The winnings, in Ready Player One, include billions of dollars, plus full administrative control of the OASIS. It’s everything Wade Watts has ever wanted. Why on earth would he even be tempted to share that?