CHAPTER 8:

THE CLIMAX

 

Where Does It Belong?

From the 90% mark to the 98% mark in your story.

 

IN SOME STORIES, the Climax will involve a drawn-out physical battle. In others, the Climax might be nothing more than a simple admission that changes everything for the protagonist. Almost always, it is a moment of revelation for the main character. Depending on the needs of the story, the protagonist will come to a life-changing epiphany directly before, during, or after the Climax. He will then act definitively upon that revelation, capping the change in his character arc and ending the primary conflict, either physically or spiritually, or both.

The Climax occurs at the end of the Third Act and comprises approximately the last 10% of the book. More often than not, the Climactic Moment at the end of the Climax will be the penultimate scene, just before the denouement. Since the Climax says everything there is to be said, with the exception of a little emotional mopping up, there’s no need for the story to continue long after its completion.