Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Writing a Message: The climax and the resolution

The climax in a story is when the tension and action hit with full blast. Something usually happens to the main character that causes or forces them to make a crucial decision that leads to the final outcome in the end.

Deciding on your climax has a big part in creating your moral and unraveling the final message.


I googled some climax examples from stories most of us are familiar with and thought I'd share them with you:

  • The deaths of Romeo (who kills himself because he thinks Juliet is dead) and Juliet (who kills herself when she awakes and sees Romeo dead).-Romeo and Juliet 
  • Wilbur is declared the winner at the county fair, and his life is saved (the farmer will not butcher him).-Charlotte's Web 
  • Peeta and Katniss agree to eat the poisonous berries instead of attempt to kill each other (and the outcome is that they are both declared winners). -The Hunger Games
  • When Gaston and the townspeople come to attack the beast, and Belle admits her love for the beast. -Disney's Beauty and the Beast
The climax is always my favorite part to read and to write. It's when the characters are their strongest and bravest even though the end may not look promising. It's usually the most intense but inspiring part.



Then...


Due to the outcome of the climax, everything begins to fall into place which leads us to...


The resolution! This is where the reader can sit back and relax a bit. The story has come to an end. And if it's a good story, it has left the reader with much to think about. It's where the moral is revealed.


The moral of Beauty and the Beast, is that true beauty comes from within.


In Romeo and Juliet, we learn brutally to let go of old disagreement and feuds between families and friends.


What will your moral be? Do you know what your climax is and how it will lead to a satisfying and strong resolution?


So...


Using the last few posts from this series, we have learned to surrender over our story ideas to God and seek Him for wisdom to write a strong message. We talked about writing a powerful story through real events. We learned about the importance of morals and lessons. And now, we just finished up the week, learning about the impact of a strong climax and its outcome.


I've had a lot of fun writing this series. I learned a lot as I explored and researched the topic of creating a strong message. I believe it's one of the most important parts of writing, especially if you want your story to make an impact on someone's life.


What are some of your thoughts on writing a message that is powerful and moving? I'd love to hear from you! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow and I look forward to beginning my newest series next week!

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