Thursday, March 20, 2014

Critical Plot Elements - ENDINGS #2 - Climax!

You can find all previous posts in this series here.

We're rolling into the final stages of your book! The countdown is on, the stakes are high, the protagonist is primed to win or lose.  These are the pages your reader has been waiting for since the very first chapter. Every comment they make about your book from here on out will be colored by their evaluation of these scenes.

No pressure.

In an ideal world, everything that happens in the next 5-50 pages (depending on what kind of climax you've built to) will be surprising - but predictable in hindsight.  Ideally you've laid a trail for the reader that they couldn't quite decipher until they read these scenes and then they're jumping up and down and screaming "Of course! Why didn't I see that?!"

There are some exceptions to the rule, but if your genre's different to mine, you're (hopefully) an avid reader of it and have a much better idea than I do what elements make for a satisfying climax.  So I'm not going to focus on events here, but rather on elements that a lot of novice writers may skip or include through inexperience.


Emotion. I'm not talking about your characters being emotional, I'm talking about bringing the reader to a heightened state of tension.  Depending on your genre you'll primarily use love, grief or fear to drive this, but regardless of which emotion you're aiming for, it's critical that your focus is on the emotional journey.  Make no mistake, its the feelings the reader experiences in these pages that will make or break their final opinion of your book. And that means you're better off making them feel angry than nothing at all.  Capeche?

Active Protagonist. I can't stress this strongly enough.  It means one thing: Whatever events lead your book to its conclusion, regardless of who is involved, the protagonist must be instrumental in bringing it to pass.  They don't have to do it alone.  They don't personally have to 'win' every conflict.  But when the reader sighs with satisfaction and looks back on what just happened, they must see that the deciding factor between victory and defeat was the protagonist's contribution - otherwise, why have we focused on this person the whole time? 


Off-Screen Action.  This is simple: If it affects the ending, you should write it in scene.  Having one character walk on stage and inform the other characters / reader isn't enough. This does create certain challenges for first person / third-person limited points of view.  But that's why you're a writer.  Get creative. The reader has been waiting for this through the whole book.  Don't steal part of their thunder by leaving important action off-screen.

Deus Ex Machina.  I've said it before and I'll no doubt say it again: If you don't know what this is, for goodness sake, google it. Study it. Look for it in literature - because it is out there. And it's NOT satisfying for the reader.

Wikipedia defines Deus Ex Machina as: ""God out of the machine"; a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object."

Did you catch that? "...NEW event, character, ability or object." If your final problems are solved by introducing anything in those last pages, head back to the drawing board.  If you can't get rid of that event, character, ability or object, find a way to weave it (or foreshadowing of it) into the earlier text.

There's a very fine line between laying a trail of smoke (something that the reader can see only in hindsight = good) and throwing something totally unpredictable into the mix at the last minute.  If you do the latter your reader will feel cheated.


This is a personal observation, rather than something I've learned elsewhere, so I'm separating it out.  But I'll tell you that my reader heart really despises a final explanation that hinges totally on dialogue with the villain.

If you're as old as me (or older) you'll remember the old Batman and Robin television show wherein at the end of pretty much every episode the villain would put Batman in an apparently impossible position, tell him everything they'd done and why, then walk away so the now fully-informed Batman could save himself (perhaps with Robin's help).

While this technique ticks all the answer boxes in minimal time, there's a reason most movies / books nowadays don't use it: it's unrealistic and not really very satisfying. 

Today's readers are more sophisticated, more analytical.  If your villain reveals all his / her tricks at the end without being forced to do so it feels...well, forced. 

Deep down we all know our opponents in real life hide things from us.  They don't want to share information, they want to outsmart us.  We take that knowledge subconsciously into our reading.  We like to see our protagonist outsmart our villain.  We like to have the trail laid so maybe we can outsmart the villain.

In every final conflict, there's going to be some form of reveal. I'm not suggesting your villain shouldn't give anything to the conversation.  But the better, stronger, safer bet is to have laid the trail throughout your prose. Let the protagonist piece together whatever they need to win. And just give a little space for final details to be ironed out.

And please, whatever you do, don't have your villain walk away from the protagonist. I used to watch those old Batman shows and think "Why didn't the Riddler just shoot Batman there when he had him, instead of setting up a lazer beam that would take two minutes to cut through the steel beam Batman was on before it cut the caped crusader in half?"

If your villain has to walk away to provide the opportunity for your protagonist to win, you're not writing smart enough.  In my opinion.

Now, if you've written a plot that forces the villain to walk away or lose, well... you're on the right track.

Next Post: The "Plot W" Round Up

Your Turn: I've been asked to explain how the plot structure might apply to different genres, which I plan to do in a blog post at the end of the series.  If you have a question regarding applying these structures to your genre, or anything else you aren't sure of, feel free to ask the question here and I'll answer it - or find someone who can.


  1. I totally agree and TV Tropes calls this "evildoer's syndrome." Really, really not a good idea to use this. Sometimes it's obvious you're doing it (the Batman example), but sometimes it's less obvious. But definitely something to watch for!

  2. This is such an awesome post! Thank you so much. I'm bookmarking it.

    You're so right about the Batman example. In fact, I'd say it's a method largely parodied these days, and for good reason. It lacks any kind of realism or drama.

  3. Another awesome post, Aimee. And I'm excited to see you're planning to answer my question in a future post. Looking forward to it! :-)

  4. Miss Cole - the actual Batman endings get spoofed, but I'm surprised how many drafts I read of novels that include the villain waxing lyrical about what they've done and how. I've noticed a watered down version of it gets used in a lot of cop shows on tv and i think some novelists ape that without realizing it.

    Cally - Yes indeed. It was a great idea, so I'm using it, ha :) I'll let you know when it's up.


    Thanks for this awesome series! I've read and loved Dwight V Swain's book (I think you recommended it a while back and I went out and bought it and it CHANGED the way I wrote), and right now, I'm going through the entire series of posts you have to make notes for myself regarding my current WIP. Very helpful! You've given me a lot to think about!

    Doesn't mean you still get to steal my Sunday Cadbury. Just sayin'. ;)

  6. Kat, it is time for you to accept that my superpowers mean Cadbury will always come at my behest. It is a gift. (Also, I have a way with dogs, so guard-puppy is eating out of my fingers... literally). Just give up. When I am feeling generous I will share.


  7. The Deus Ex Machina is why, as good a storyteller as HG Wells was on other stories, War of the Worlds falls flat. "And then the aliens caught cold and died. The end."

    I do have to quibble about Batman, though - I am counting on, if I am ever captured by The Joker, Catwoman, etc., for them to explain everything, then go off on more important bidness so I will have plenty of time to access my Bat Utility belt. No?

  8. Ha! I suppose you're right, Beverly. If any of those villains pinned me to a giant guillotine, I'd be grateful for the extra chance.

    Food for thought...?

  9. @Susan: Actually, it isn't called that over at TV Tropes. I think the proper term is
    "Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?"

    While I hit the major points here, during the climax of my WIP, the antagonist explains his motive to the protagonist in an attempt to sway him over to his side, since the protagonist has potential and shows darkening shades of gray. Also, the protagonist's allies are approaching and the antagonist needs help to turn them against each other with his power.

    What are your thoughts on this?

  10. Hi Chihuahuao - I put these tips up to help people out, but I'd never tell you to go one way or the other in a scene without reading it.

    In reality, any writer can break any rule or 'preferred approach' if they do it right. Personally, I think the important thing isn't the approach, but whether what you've written evolves organically, is believable and anyone could read the scene and not need to have the reasoning explained to them.

    No one knows your book better than you. if you're not sure, let another writer critique it that you can trust to give you honest feedback.

    Good luck!