Story Climax, Podcast Episode

Podcast:

Season 2, Episode 11 of the My Amuseing Life Podcast     

Word of the week: 

Resolution: To solve a dispute or problem, bring an end to 

Reading:

Little Women; CHAPTER EIGHT

JO MEETS APOLLYON

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

8 Tips for Writing the Climax of a Story

The climax of a story is the turning point, when the conflict reaches the point of beginning to be resolved.  Writing a great climax can give the reader resolution and satisfaction in the way the story was written.  Here are eight tips for writing the climax of a story.

1. Start with the ending.  Knowing how the story is going to end can help better define and describe the climax of the story.
2. Give the protagonist a reason to need a resolution.  The protagonist should be the underdog, or someone the reader wants to see succeed, but isn’t sure if they will or not until the story reaches the climax.
3. Don’t rush it.  After the climax, the story begins to wrap up, so rushing into the climax may leave the readers feeling confused and no longer interested in the story.  Take time to write a well-put together climax, with scenes that lead into it.
4. Make the antagonist someone or something worth fighting against.  A challenging situation will have a much stronger climax if the antagonist is strong enough to give the protagonist something to fight against.  
5. Don’t leave loose ends.  Make sure each part of the story is tied up so the reader isn’t left feeling as though the story didn’t actually end.
6. Consider the story’s values.  The values of the character throughout the story should be tested within the climax.  
7. Stories may have more than one plot.  There may be more than one instance of conflict, which means there should be more than one climax.  In fact, especially in novels, the story may need more than one climax to make it effective.  Consider adding multiple conflicts and smaller climaxes throughout the story, culminating with a larger climax at the end.
8. If the climax isn’t working, go back to the conflict.  Something may need to be tweaked or changed within the conflict to make the climax work better.

Prompt: 

Look at a conflict within a story you’ve written, and create a list of five possible climaxes.  Choose one and write more about it.