Crisis versus Climax

The latest video up on the Plot Tips Youtube channel is all about the difference between a crisis in a story and the climax of a story.

I write up a summary here for those of you who have not yet discovered the wonder of youtube.

Crisis and Climax are often confused.

Basically:
1) Crisis
At the Crisis (around the 3/4 mark of a novel, memoir, screenplay), the energy of the story is at its highest so far and the protagonist is at her very worst, both internally and externally.

The crisis forces the protagonist to see herself and her situation in a completely new light. She has been living her live thematically one way. After what happens at the crisis, she must re-evaluate everything.

2) Climax
At the Climax (the chapter or scene before the last one at the very end), the energy is at the very highest of the entire story and the protagonist is at her very best and acting in her true power.

Crisis = disaster (both for the protagonist and the action)
Climax = success

More Plot Tips: 

1) Plot your story step-by-step with the help of The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories 

2) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

3) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. Scroll down on the left of this post for a directory of all the steps to the series. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

4) Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. Scroll down on the right of this post for a directory the book examples and plot elements discussed.

For additional tips and information about the Universal Story and plotting a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
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Plot Whisperer on Twitter