10 tips on How to write a story

9) Build to a Crisis or Climax

9) Build to a Crisis or Climax

This is the turning point of the story- the most exciting or dramatic moment.

The crisis may be recognition, a decision, or a resolution. The character understands what hasn’t been seen before, or realizes what must be done or finally decides to do it. It’s when the worm turns. Timing is crucial. If the crisis occurs too early the reader will expect another turning point. If it occurs too late, readers will get impatient - The character will seem rather thick.

-Jerome Stern

Jane Burroway says that the crisis must always be presented as a scene. It is the moment the reader has been waiting for. In Cinderella’s case, the payoff is when the slipper fits.

While a good story needs a crisis, a random event such as a crash or a sudden illness is simply an emergency – unless it somehow involves a conflict that makes the reader care about the characters.

Jam