Today on the Go Teen Writers Book Club, we’re discussing Chapter Five: Discovery.

Chapter Recap:

A story is a journey in which the protagonist travels from one place in time, location, or relationship to another. Along the way he encounters various struggles, overcomes or succumbs to temptations, confronts enemies, and faces obstacles until he finally achieves (or fails to achieve) his goal and in the process, discovers something new about himself or the world.

“We strive to give our readers what they want or something better.”

Keep your reader guessing by making sure that everything in the story doesn’t go just as they guess it will. Readers like being surprised.

The climax needs to be believable, be logical, be unexpected yet satisfying, and contain the culminating moment of tension in the whole book.

In regards to ending your story, don’t cheat! Don’t preach, give your hero an easy out or easy answer, write in acts of God, surprise the reader with character skills that appear out of nowhere, or have someone else show up and save the day. Your hero needs to save the day.

“Generally speaking, women prefer to see fictional characters in relational conflict, and men like to see them in situational conflict. To draw in a broader audience, weave both kinds of struggles into your stories.”

What Stood Out:

“Characters who give advice need to do so from a place of weakness or vulnerability rather than strength.” A child can offer important, life changing information to an adult, but when a skilled and powerful adult comes along and gives wisdom to your hero, it doesn’t work. It feels like a convenient cheat.

“Coincidences drive a stake through believability.”

“Foreshadow any skills or tools needed at the climax and introduce readers to any vital characters before you reach that point in the story, or the climax will appear too contrived or coincidental.” This ties into the dramatic principle of Chekhov’s Gun. This quote from K.M. Weiland describes it perfectly:

“Anton Chekhov’s famous advice that “if in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired” is just as important in reverse: If you’re going to have a character fire a gun later in the book, that gun should be introduced in the first act. The story you create in the following acts can only be assembled from the parts you’ve shown the reader in this first act.” K.M. Weiland, “The Secrets of Story Structure, Pt 3: The First Act”

What I Found Helpful and Intend to Apply to My Writing:

“Things will always be the worst just before the climax.” Another good reminder to make sure that the dark moment for my hero is truly the darkest. It can’t be easier than another part earlier in the story. I’m going to work hard to make sure this happens in my W.I.P.

“Wit or grit. Will or skill.” I like this reminder of traits the hero should have (at least one of) to overcome the climax of the story. It’s simple and clear and gives me an easy four options to choose from. And I can always use more than one, but I need at least one.

Tip of the week:

“Things will always be the worst just before the climax.” —Steven James

Go Teen Writers Archived Articles to Help You Go Deeper:

• Writing The Climax of the Story: Your Character’s Final Test
• Writing the Final Battle
• How To Write A Satisfying “Final Battle” When Your Villain Isn’t Darth Vader, Lord Voldemort, or President Snow

Questions:

Answer at least one of the following (or as many as you’d like).
•Are things the worst in your story right before the climax?
•Does your hero save the day or is someone or something else lending too much help?
•Are there any coincidences in your story?
•Any questions?