There is the holy trinity in the Christian religion, the holy trinity as a culinary term in all sorts of cuisine and, I hope it is not sacrilege, the holy trinity in stories. Perhaps it's a bit wacky to use the term in plot... what can I say?
The three cornerstone scenes in all novels, memoirs and screenplays are:
However, there is another trio that is my very favorite in the
Universal Story because of the power these three scenes produce in stories and in our lives as writers and people.
I've been admonished for being a bit heavy-handed in these three videos. Please forgive me. My passion often overtakes me.
Click on green highlighted plot concepts for further explanations via video. Each time a concept is referenced you are directed to new information.
In preparing for my first ever Writers Plot Retreat in the redwoods on Thursday through Sunday (so don't expect another post for a few days), I marvel again at how consistent the Energetic Markers arrive in the Universal Story from romance novels, to screenplays, to mysteries, young adult, memoirs, middle grade and yes, even picture books.
For instance: The Cay by Theodore Taylor.
Like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee where the plotline dealing with Boo breaks off after the End of the Beginning and does not come back until the End, The Cay has an almost independent plotline running through the Middle (1/2) with the Beginning (1/4) linked back to the End (/14).
The End of the Beginning of The Cay is when Phillip is blind. The antagonists in the Middle are Phillip's prejudice of Timothy, blindness, a deserted island, fear, feeling sorry for himself, the weather and Malaria. Phillip's allies in the Middle are Timothy and Stew Cat.
In the Middle of The Cay, Phillip must maneuver, with the help of Timothy through a survival course, the Unusual World of living on an island blind.
The Crisis of the subplot on the island occurs about Halfway through the entire story and operates as the Crisis of the subplot running through the Middle portion of the story. Phillip climbs a palm tree blind, makes it about 10 feet and then freezes. Comes back down and he feels Timothy's disappointment.
The Climax of the subplot on the island comes when Phillip attempts the climb again, makes it all the way up, picks two coconuts, comes down and asks Timothy, "Are you still black?" showing Phillip has overcome is fear and his prejudice.
The Crisis of the overall story comes at exactly the 3/4 mark when a hurricane hits the island.
The Climax comes when Phillip himself is able to signal the plane and in the end he is rescued.
Anyway, my point is that the End of the Beginning, the Halfway marker, the Crisis(es) and Climax(es) all hit at exactly where they "should".
And, that's only one of so many examples.
I keep throwing the concepts out there because they're helpful and valid. Something worth learning for your own stories.
Interesting dilemma in a recent plot consultation -- the protagonist (a 12 year-old in a middle grade fantasy novel) kills the evil queen, her mother, at the Climax.
Now, before you react, let me explain. Turns out in the Resolution the woman she kills is not actually her mother. Whew! Still, the reveal comes too late to justify the killing as the story is written now.
This age-group, heck, any age group, for the protagonist to do such a deed, the mother must be evil incarnate -- which the queen is though not necessarily shown enough throughout the story as it's written now -- and even then, I believe it is a tough sell for middle-grads readers, or at least their gatekeeper -- parents, teacher, etc.
Not even Luke Skywalker is able in the end to kill his own father -- Darth Vader -- in the Star Wars films.
The archetype of the Mother needs to stay pure. The woman she has become can be hated -- yes? -- but...
The Climax is the crowning glory of the story. The reader has been reading for pages and pages. This is the scene they will likely remember. To have such controversy at that moment can work in adult fiction, but in middle grade fiction...
There is the holy trinity in the Christian religion, the holy trinity as a culinary term in all sorts of cuisine and, I hope it is not sacrilege, the holy trinity in stories. Perhaps it's a bit wacky to use the term in plot... what can I say? 
For some reason I have not yet found these videos, but now I have :) I am so glad I have, too, and I'm very excited to go through them and learn everything I can. Thank you for doing this!
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
hmmm, I worry why you had not found these videos. This is all new to me!
I'm glad you're finding the plot series helpful!
Nothing better than feeling like a support to writers following their dreams...