Novel Craft Writing Workshop: Scarlett O'Hara and the Epiphany Moment

Janalyn Voigt

Epiphany: A sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something. The Free Dictionary

An epiphany is a sudden, unexpected moment of revelation. This revelation is often of an inspirational nature. It's not about something your main character needs to do, although it certainly leads to your plot's resolution. The epiphany is an internal revelation by your main character of a heretofore hidden truth about your main character.


Let's get back to Scarlett. As you may recall from last week's lesson, we left Scarlett in her black moment with all her proficiencies shattered. None of the people, conventions or abilities she relied on before can help her now. And, in a moment of utter despair, she tries and fails to nourish herself with a radish she finds still growing in Tara's ravished garden.

In this dark moment when she is out of options, Scarlett has two choices. She can give up and starve or she can survive. As a spoiled southern belle, Scarlett twisted others around her fingers to get what she wanted. Depending on others to provide was her survival tactic. Now, as she faces life or death, Scarlett has an epiphany moment. She realizes that she is strong enough to survive all by herself, and that others depend on her. She stands and raises her fist to the sky, and in a truly epic moment, cries to the heavens: "As God is my witness, they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this, and when it's all over I'll never be hungry again! No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill, then God is my witness. I'll never be hungry again." Watch this scene.

While Scarlett's tactics might be questionable, her passion to live rings true. She is at her strongest in this moment, because she has connected with herself in a very real way. We understand that, from here on out, things will change. And they do.

Action Step

What will your main character's main epiphany be? Bear in mind that your characters might experience more than one epiphany in the course of your story, but there needs to be one compelling epiphany moment which will lead to the solution of your story problem in the climax of your book.

©2011 Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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