climax

Of Knights, L-Shaped Movements Crisis and Climax…

In the game of chess, the Knight is the only piece or character on the board that can jump over another pieces even those who are friendly.

The Knight moves in a “L”-shaped pattern. The Knight does this by going 2 steps forward, or backward, horizontal or vertical and then 1 step left or right or by going 1 step north, south, east or west, and then 2 steps left or right.

The Knight can also be seen as moving 2 spaces diagonally and then horizontal or vertical to the next space.

For this reason the Knight’s path of movement has never been well-defined.

Of Knights, L-Shaped Movements Crisis and Climax… Read More »

Of John Gardner, Writing and The Worm Hole Experience…

“Any event that seems to the given writer startling, curious, or interest-laden can form the climax of a possible story.”

–John Gardner in The Art of Fiction

Climax is that place in the story or novel where the protagonist, the main character, reveals in action, that she or he has integrated knowledge gained through the experience of the journey.

Through thought, word, and deed, the central character shows she or he has been changed, transformed. It follows crisis.

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Of Spirals, Parking Garages, and Points of Entry and Identification…

The road that led your protagonist away at the opening of your novel or story brings her or him home again during the final stage, but at a new level of awareness.

And since time has moved forward, while the central character has been gone, we could entitle the journey, Back to the Future and Home Again.

The central character of the story has traveled in a spiral, moving both vertically and horizontally.

They have broadened their perspective. This encompasses the circular motion of the spiral. Read the rest of this entry…

Of Spirals, Parking Garages, and Points of Entry and Identification… Read More »

Of Spirals, Parking Garages, and Points of Entry and Identification…

The road that took the protagonist away, during the final stage of the novel, brings her or him home again, but at a new level of awareness.

And since time has moved forward, while the central character has been gone, we could entitle the journey, Back to the Future and Home Again.

The central character of the story has traveled in a spiral, moving both vertically and horizontally.

They have broadened their perspective. This encompasses the circular motion of the spiral.

Of Spirals, Parking Garages, and Points of Entry and Identification… Read More »

Of Peeling Onions, Surrender and Writing from The Zone…

The stage of renewal in a story offers a second opportunity for rebirth. Unlike the crisis, the scenes of renewal focus on the inner life of the major character.

Through the action of deciding and choosing to share the good news of her or his triumph in both word and deed, the protagonist now heads down a road, the path and events of which are shaped and influenced more by internal changes than those physically committed.

Renewal signals the time in a story or novel where the central character surrenders to the nuclear fall out, so to speak, of her or his actions.

He or she has carried out the physical task set forth by the changes and upheaval leveled at the outset of the story.

At the peak of action she or he dueled her their enemies and/or central antagonist.

In the wake of triumph she/he has made decisions reflective of their survival and the wisdom granted by having battled through the crisis.

Of Peeling Onions, Surrender and Writing from The Zone… Read More »

Of Swords, Inner Demons and the Waters of Renewal…

The area of a novel that follows climax brings renewal. Yet writing this part of the story gets tricky.

Rolling towards the finish line authors can easily lose control of the narrative. We must remain upon the horse of our story.

Climax has delivered a delayed and second crisis a second form of transformation, what some might call the aftershocks of the major earthquake of the peak crisis bringing everything to its head.

In this way novels can be seen to have three major crises or turning points from which others hurricanes or twisters of change spin off.

First comes the initial shake up, the initiating problem that rises from the dilemma rooted in back-story. Then comes the arc of action where the protagonist meets with her or his archenemy, that from which she or he has been running or pursuing the length of the story.

Then comes the crisis.

Of Swords, Inner Demons and the Waters of Renewal… Read More »

Of Dimensions of Experience, Mystery and Feet of Practicality…

Climax follows a time a crisis.

As the story heads for resolution the protagonist must decide how she or he will evidence not only their survival and triumph of the great battle she or he has fought, but how they will manifest those that shift in consciousness, that change of heart, in a way that will allow the experience to remain alive within them.

Then, and only then, can she, or he truly know the victory over death whose roots lie in fear, doubt and disbelief.

So many times we sabotage ourselves into thinking that we less than what we are.

Likewise we ground our identity of who we are and our purpose in life on the erroneous belief that we do not matter, and that what we have to offer means little if anything.

This is often the case for writers and artists of many kinds.

Of Dimensions of Experience, Mystery and Feet of Practicality… Read More »