Tips for creating the climax scene in your novel

In her book The Plot Whisperer,author Martha Alderson writes about creating the climax scene in a novel. This is the scene that holds the greatest intensity and highest drama in the story. This is where all the forces of the story come together and where the protagonist must directly confront the antagonist. Just when it looks as if all is lost, the protagonist will discover or rediscover something within her that allows her to prevail.

The climatic scene directly answers the question at the outset of the novel—will the protagonist reach her goal and be victorious?

Alderson says, “A writer who has not experienced a transformation in her own life often cannot see, feel, touch, smell and hear the scene depicting such a moment for the protagonist.”

In thinking about the climax scene in my work-in-progress, I found it helpful to make a list of my own transformations and think about how those transformations occurred and what I learned in the process.

Exercise. Think about the transformations you’ve experienced. Make a list and see how you can use that insight in your writing.

Find more tips from Alderson about how to create your climax scene in her 9-minute video: