Crisis versus Climax

She's confused about the difference between the crisis and the climax, and this is after a 5-hour plot intensive (where we began with the climax first and then moved to the beginning). She admits to having reread chapters in my book and watched a couple of videos again. Still confused.

"What is the difference between the crisis that brings the protagonist to her knees and the climax?"

Then she briefly relates a beginning with unusual characters and a protagonist with a concrete and relatable goal. Good start.

She then jumps to a description of one of the scenes she's confused about. It's a classic crisis, the kind that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. This is where the protagonist is attacked and brought to her knees. She dies to whom she has always been, never to return to innocence. Terrific crisis.

Next is a classic threshold of understanding and personal insight. (Dori for her mother)

The story ends with an easy though satisfying climax where the transformed protagonist stands firm in her own, newly found or rediscovered personal power and makes the right choice. (Dori's refusal).

The key scenes are always there though often difficult to peel apart from all the words until a writer stands back and sees each scene in relationship to all the other scenes on a Plot Planner.

To familiarize yourself with the Universal Story and the basic plot terms in the above blog post:

1) Read The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (Now also as a Kindle edition)

2) Watch the Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post. 27-step tutorial on Youtube

3 Watch the Monday Morning Plot Book Group Series on YouTube. A directory the book examples and plot elements discussed is to the left of this post.

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

Pre-NaNoWriMo Plot Key Scenes

Today's Monday Plot Book Group (click to watch the video) covers four key scenes or, in the Universal Story, Energetic Markers that are found in every novel, memoir, screenplay.

As early as possible, attempt to identify these four energetic markers and then allow the rest of the story fall into place around these key scenes.

The energetic markers are:
End of the Beginning Scene
The Halfway Point Scene
The Crisis
The Climax

For step-by-step guidance into pre-plotting your novel, memoir, screenplay, refer to:
The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master

For more about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit the Monday Plot Book Group series (A directory to this 2nd plot series is to the left of this post and scroll down a bit) and visit the first Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. (A directory of all the steps to the 1st plot series is to the right of this post.)
and visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)
Plot Whisperer on Twitter