The Crisis of a story hits about 3/4 of the way through the page or scene count and marks the highest intensity scene in the entire beginning and middle of the story. On the plot planner, this highest point signifies the dramatic action plot though keep in mind it is the lowest point in the story for the character emotional development plot.
The crisis can be thought of as the climax for the antagonist.
I've got two new videos on the youtube Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay. One talks about the scenes building up to the CRISIS and the next one discusses the CRISIS SCENE itself.
I am under a deadline for a new book that I have been patiently waiting to reveal while the negotiations for the contract are finalized. I am thrilled to be asked to write my passion and excited for the chance to tell you about it and am having a ball writing it but find that with that and everyone and their mother requesting
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By: Martha Alderson, M.A.,
on 1/24/2011
Blog: Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Memoir, screenplay, writing the crisis of a story, Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, youtube channel marthaalderson, Add a tag
By: Martha Alderson, M.A.,
on 8/22/2009
Blog: Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: writing the crisis of a story, difference between crisis and climax, meaning of the crisis, Add a tag
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By: Martha Alderson, M.A.,
on 1/24/2011
Blog: Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Memoir, screenplay, writing the crisis of a story, Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, youtube channel marthaalderson, Add a tag
4 Comments on Writing the Crisis, last added: 1/27/2011
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By: Martha Alderson, M.A.,
on 8/22/2009
Blog: Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: writing the crisis of a story, difference between crisis and climax, meaning of the crisis, Add a tag
(NOTE: I often use this forum -- the Plot Whisperer -- to answer questions I receive from writers I've worked with. I know each writer's entire story and, since I do not believe in divulging writers' plots, I change the writer's question about her own specific story to the universal.)QUESTION:
At the Crisis point [between the protagonist and her father]... does she need to confront him any further at that point? Later in the Climax, [she shows -- in action -- the transformative power of her new-found wisdom]. MF
ANSWER:
To confront her father at the Crisis, the dark night of the soul, the breakdown, the death of her innocence, she would be acting from her old personality, who she has always been.
Rarely does the transformation come simultaneously in the same scene as the Crisis (if any of you have an example of this, please share...)
The Crisis leads to transformation.
Example: Rarely in real life do we change immediately upon being hit by a Crisis. Often, for us to change and transform our deeply entrenched habits, we need more than one Crisis -- the second being worse than the first.
The first near-death experience affects you deeply and has the power to bring you to consciousness. Then, before you know it, you're "over it" and revert back to your old ways = your ego takes back its power over you and you descend back into unconscious behaviors and the cycle begins again.
Second new-death experience makes a deeper impression = true change begins.. sometimes.
Sometimes, at this point, consciousness prevails over ego and transformation begins.
Sometimes, we revert back to our old selves and the cycle starts again.
This is also true in stories.
MF, your protagonist does not need more than one wake-up call. She is young and smart and gets it.
From the "hit" she gets at the Crisis, her transformation happens over several scenes (the End -- 1/4). Dissolving old habits and creating new, healthier ones takes practice. Often the new behavior shows itself only intermittently at first. True mastery comes over time and shows itself in all its glory at the Climax.
In other words, your protagonist is not ready to respond in a transformed way at the Crisis -- that is reserved for the Climax -- of which, yours is perfect.
1 Comments on Plot Question & Answer; Meaning of the Crisis, last added: 8/22/2009
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This is great advice! I'm not to the climax of my novel yet, but when I get there I will for sure be keeping this advice in mind. If you can't get the climax right, I think it will leave your readers way too underwhelmed.
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
Just wanted you to know how much I've enjoyed the plotting videos. I featured you on my blog today: http://bit.ly/gXrEKt
Thanks so much!
~Debbie
Hope you're not confusing the crisis and climax, Sarah Allen?
Thank you for your kind words, Debbie Maxwell! I just sent you a twitter message thanking you, too.
On wings of angels...