I hope these quick writing tips helps you jumpstart your
writing!
This
series on Developing Ideas is excerpted
from You Can Write for Children: How to Write
Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers. Get the book
if you want to see all the info at once. The book addresses writing stories for
children, but if you want to write for adults, simply do the exercises ignoring
the "as a child" part.
Two
weeks ago I talked about “Building a Story
in Four Parts.” Last week we discussed developing the
middle in more detail. Now let's explore the climax and ending.
Can She Do It?! – The Story Climax
Your
character has faced complications through the middle of the story. Finally, at
the climax, the main character must
succeed or fail. Time is running out. The race is near the end. The girl is
about to date another guy. The villain is starting the battle.
One way or
another, your complications have set up a situation where it’s now or never.
However you get there, the climax will be strongest if it is truly the last
chance. You lose tension if the reader believes the main character could fail
this time, and simply try again tomorrow.
Writing Tips for The Climax
•
Don’t rush the climax. Take the time to write the scene out in vivid detail,
even if the action is happening fast. Think of how movies switch to slow
motion, or use multiple shots of the same explosion, in order to give maximum
impact to the climax. Use plenty of dramatic detail and your main character’s
thoughts and feelings to pull every bit of emotion out of the scene.
•
To make the climax feel fast-paced, use mainly short sentences and short
paragraphs. The reader’s eyes move more quickly down the page, giving a sense
of breathless speed. (This is a useful technique for cliffhanger chapter
endings as well.)
Stop back next week for advice on Happy Endings.
Get More Writing Advice
Chris Eboch is the author of over 60 books for children,
including nonfiction and fiction, early reader through teen. Her writing craft
books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great
Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers, and Advanced Plotting.
Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs. Learn more at https://chriseboch.com/ or her Amazon page.
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