Fiction Notes » climax

Are You in Pain?

Darcy Pattison — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:25:20 +0000

Are you in Pain? Question for your character.

So, I’m sitting at the hosptial, waiting for my husband to follow in Harry Smith’s footsteps and get the Couric Procedure (screening colonoscopy). Every wall has a sign asking, “Are you in pain?

0 No Pain/Happy face

1-3 Mild Pain/straight line mouth
4-6 Moderate pain/small frown
7-9 Severe pain/big frown
10 Worst pain/deep frown and tears

Of course, it made me think about character pain.

Physical pain may or may not be present in a story. But it’s the emotional pain that creates strong stories.

No pain. In general, a character should never feel a 0 on the Pain Scale, even in the opening; well, maybe in the conclusion, but even there, characters often has residual pain.

Mild pain. This is appropriate for the opening of a story, before the conflict which sends the character into act 2. It’s also appropriate for the conclusion, where the story is wrapped up. You’d never want this for the middle of the story or especially the climax.

Moderate pain. Act 2 should be characerized by at least this level of pain throughout, with mild or severe pain for places of emotional rest or stress.

Severe pain. Act 2 and 3 should have spikes of severe pain, as the emotional crisis of the story heats up.

Worst pain. This would normally be reserved for the climax of the story.

Subjective Scale

The pain scale is a subjective scale, asking a patient how much s/he hurts. My husband has a higher pain threshold than I do, for sure. And my number 10 is about his number 5. Likewise, there are stories with severe pain scales and some with mild pain scales. A pain scale for a children’s picture book is very different from a pain scale for a horror story.

Pain Scale Determines Main Character

It’s also helpful to consider the pain scale when thinking about which character is the main character. In general, the character who hurts the most should be the main character. Ask each of your characters to rate their pain at key points throughout the story. Which one has the most pain? Could the story be stronger with a different main character? If there characters with no pain or only mild pain, could you either delete that character or find a way to add emotional pain?

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Try Ideas

Darcy Pattison — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:00:57 +0000

You Must Try it On

I’m watching “What Not to Wear,” TLC’s fashion advice show. The hosts, Stacy and Clinton preach one thing that struck me today: you must try clothes on to see if they fit and look the way you want. You can’t tell anything by just looking at something on a hanger. You must see it on your body.

Revising a novel can be like that, too. I’m facing a major change in my story and I’m just fiddling with ideas. Instead, I need to “try it on” and do some sample writing, trying out the ideas.

In this draft of my novel, the villain is not believable in important ways. I need to soften him, yet still keep the impact of his actions emotionally the same. The problem is that I can’t figure out how to replace his evil ways with something equally evil or deceptive or twisted or, well, something. This will directly change the climax of an important subplot, which feeds into the story’s main climax.

I’ve been making lists and have a couple options of what is plausible, what is not, given these characters and situation. Now, I need to do “try them on” my story. I plan to do some free-writing, trying out different approaches until something hits.

One thing is guaranteed: it won’t be the first thing I try. I’m just hoping it’ll be the third or fourth!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Big Scenes

Darcy Pattison — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:26:29 +0000

Every Novel Needs a Scene

In my WIP, I need to write a big scene: cast of dozens, culmination of major plot threads, emotional high for major characters.

Big scenes should be a part of every novel, because there should be places where characters, plot events, outer and inner narratives arcs, and subplots intersect. The climax of the story, at least, should be big. Big as in it takes up a lot of space, covers more pages than other scenes. Big as in it impacts the lives of the characters, representing a major turning point.

OK, I’m ready! But how do I write a big scene?

Decide What Type of Big Scene Your Story Needs

Sandra Scofield’s little treasure of a book about scenes, The Scene Book: A Primer for the Fiction Writer, has a whole chapter devoted to just such a scene.

Scofield suggests two approaches to a big scene:

Small focus. Focus on the emotional reaction of the POV character, or the interaction between two main characters. Essentially, this is a small scene within a big setting.
Multi-focus scene. This type of big scene opens up the interaction to include many other characters, who have input, express and evoke emotion, and trigger reactions from the main characters.

It was immediately clear to me that I wanted the small focus scene. The interaction between the two main characters was indeed the point of this scene, although it would take place within the context of a community gathering. They would have conversations and interactions with minor characters; in fact, a couple of subplots would either wind up or would have a strong plot point. But these two characters are the pivot point of everything happening.

Planning a Big Scene for Your Novel

Scofield suggest you plan the beginning, middle and end of such a scene, to make sure enough happens in each section, and to make sure you can manage all the characters.

Arrival. The opening of my scene is the arrival of everyone to the event. I’ll need about four instances of people or groups of people entering the scene. Knowing that up front helps me plan for variety, shift the emphasis or focus to telling details for each group, plan for pacing, and helps me make sure everyone gets there that needs to get there — even if those difficult characters come in late, as usual.
Eating Dinner. This happens to be a community meal at a school cafeteria. Now, dining can be rather boring, so I’ve got to make sure there is enough action and interaction to keep this interesting. It’s here that I’ll add in a couple conversations that will end subplots. I’m still struggling to find appropriate actions and am considering a small subplot for humor, perhaps some kid trying to steal butter or something.
Auction. The crowd has gathered for a fund raising auction, so I’ll speed up the dinner a bit and get to this as fast as I can. The conflict is clearer to me here, so I’m expecting this section to be fun and easy to write, as I wrap up a major plot point.
Leaving. I want to leave at least one poignant, emotional moment for the aftermath of this big scene. I’d like to do this at the cafeteria, not after the characters arrive home. That way, I don’t need lame paragraphs about going home and going to bed. Just leave them going out the door and we assume that boring part. Should give me a good scene cut for the next chapter.

I also have a good idea of the emotional reactions of my main characters as the tensions between them rise throughout the scene.

I think, I’m almost ready to write that big scene.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Don’t Avoid the Emotion

Darcy Pattison — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:24:09 +0000

I’m near the end of this draft of my novel and I’m reluctant to face the last few chapters. Why? Too much emotion!

You must write the emotional ending

It’s not fair to the reader to have his/her turn the page and read. “I woke up the next morning and thought about what happened last night.”

You can’t give the emotional climax of the story slantwise. The reader deserves better. Instead, you must face the emotional turmoil and write it head-on.

But I don’t want to go through those emotions! I’ve backed my characters into a corner and there’s no way out. AF is sitting on the floor of a grocery store eating peanut butter from a jar, waiting for a social worker to come and take her to a new foster home. EW is hanging onto the back of a shopping cart staring at AF and wondering how long before he is emotionally in her shoes. Whoa! I don’t want to be either of them right now.

How to approach these hard scenes?

Focus on details. Usually, I try to put something in a character’s hand. Like a peanut butter jar and a spoon. I let those details come forward, so the emotional content is there in the background, but it’s bearable. If the detail can in any way be symbolic, that’s even better.
Write a skeleton. Sometimes, I might write a bare bones skeleton, then go back and fill in details on the next revision. In other words, I only taste the emotion, set it up, write the structure around it. I create the container for the emotion, knowing that I’m not finished until I’ve filled it up with emotion, but also knowing that it’s enough for now. Because I know I’m going to revise, I’m not afraid to under-write on the first draft.
Avoid — not! Sometimes, I avoid the scene. Yes, I do. Don’t you? I surf the web; I answer email; I take a walk; I call a friend; I critique a mss; I read a book. But in the end, you must sit yourself down and write the scene. That’s what I plan to do today. No more avoidance! Ask me later if I got it done!

What about you? How do you face those emotional scenes near the end of your story?

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Check Your Picture Book’s Story Arc

Darcy Pattison — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:06:23 +0000

You’ve written your picture book text and it divides nicely into about fourteen sections, so your first draft is looking good. Now, focus on the narrative arc.

Narrative Arc Formula

Here’s an easy formula to fill in for your narrative arc:

This is a story about ______________________________

Who more than anything else wants __________________
(Alternate: Who more than anything else fears_________________)

But can’t get it because of these complications:
(Alternate: But has to face it because of these complications:)

UNTIL (climax/resolution) _______________________________________.

Of Course, It’s Just a Formula

Of course, this is a formula for a story that actually has a plot, not a mood story or a concept story or a nonfiction story. We’ll talk about those this month. But for now, this is a good formula for a story with a plot.

Of course, any formula like this is useful only up to a point, but it does a good job of checking the overall structure of your story. It can point out useful things:

Does the main character solve the problem? (No fair bringing in parents, adults, older siblings, etc.)
Do the complications get worse and worse, building to a climax?
Does the character actually want/fear something?
Have you provided the most interesting, least cliched complications possible? (Or at least done the cliched things in the most interesting vocabulary possible?)

Order the Ebook

Now available:
A Fiction Notes Ebook, How to Write a Children’s Picture Book.

110 pages packed with information.

Everything in one, easy-to-read format.

Instant access!

How to Write a Children’s Picture Book

A Fiction Notes Ebook

110 pages packed with information.

Everything in one, easy-to-read format.

Instant access!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Revising the Outline

Darcy Pattison — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:51:59 +0000

When do you start revising your novel? I start by revising the first draft of my novel’s plot outline, synopsis or treatment.

Revise Early and Late

As soon as I’ve written the first sketchy outlines of a novel, I’m revising. I’m looking for many things:

Does the climax resolve the setup?
Are the main characters together in a big scene at the climax?
Is there a good inciting incident? What opening scene would catch reader’s attention?
Are there places for the characters to grow and change?
Could I think of better settings, places that will resonate better with the story?
What conflicts run through the whole story?
Can I give my MC more problems to overcome?
Are there subplots that could support the main plot in interesting variations on a theme?
Does the middle sag? How could I structure the story to heighten the tension all the way through?
Does the ending have an interesting twist?
What character has the most at stake emotionally? Can I use THAT character as the viewpoint and/or main character?
Do I know the backstory , the events that took place before the opening scene? Can I plan to put that very late in the story?
What character interactions are possible within this story?
Can I write a timeline of each character and pinpoint scenes which help the character change?
Any great places in the plot for action sequences?

In short, I’m looking at all the elements that usually need revision after I write the first draft and doing a Novel Diagnosis. But on my WIP, I’ve tried to work smarter and do the critque even earlier in the process — right after I wrote the three page synopsis of the plot.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Wisdom, the Midway Albatross

by Darcy Pattison

Giveaway ends March 11, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win