Exploring the Story Curve – How to Craft a Compelling Story (Part 3 – Maximising Climax)
Building Conflict can be a tedious process (as your child may discover from our previous article – Click to read: How to Craft a Compelling Story (Part 2 – Crafting Conflicts)). One common misconception that most students may face is the expectation that their “Climax” must be the worst possible scenario. They end up belabouring under the pressure of finding the ‘best’ (or worst?) topic for their stories. The good news is: there is an easier way for your child to build-up to the Climax of their story.
The Climax component of the story is more than just the ‘highest’ or ‘worst’ point of your story. Your child need not worry about having to incorporate the dreaded “D’s” – Death, Disease, or Disaster! Instead, the Climax is about building the journey of the characters to a relevant and exciting point that will leave the reader or audience thoroughly engaged! Be it a written composition or a speech; we will provide three quick tips for your child to maximise the Climax!
Heighten the High – Maximising the Climax
The common mistake students make, based on our experience, is to gloss over or move on quickly from the Climax or tension point. This is understandable given that the Climax is often the most uncomfortable part of a story, both for the writer and the audience. Think of it as a roller-coaster ride. At the peak of the ride, right before it descends from the high-point to the safety of the ground, the audience is left hanging for a slight moment for them to appreciate the tension. This is what your child should aim to do with their story!
The first tip requires your child to make the characters’ unattainable end goal, purpose or objective clear. They should design a gap between what the characters want or need, and their current position. The tension in the Climax will form when the audience realises that the characters in the story are no longer able to achieve what they wanted (or are challenged from doing so). Have your child think about what their characters wanted to achieve and the elements that prevented them from doing so.
The second tip scrutinises the change process. As we mentioned, the success of the Climax is a balance between dragging out the tension point and bringing the audience down to safety. For a story, this is about showing the change process that the characters are going through. For example, if the story was about overcoming low grades or failure, encourage your child to expound on the excruciating details of helplessness or challenge in the process. How did the character feel? What changed for the character? These are just some questions to help your child along for their story!
Finally, the Climax is an appropriate moment to include a Hero’s Journey, be it the characters themselves or a role model. The aim is to replicate a relatable experience of learning from others around us in overcoming challenges or barriers (or in the case of a story – the Conflict). Your child can identify a role model or a hero that motivated their characters in the story to go through the change process. The Climax is a great opportunity for the Hero to make their appearance, as part of the change process!
We emphasise again that the Climax, while often seen as a quick turning point, can be maximised by elaborating on the finer details of the characters’ growth process. Even for simple or straightforward stories, following the tips above will help your child design a tension point that draws in and engages the reader effectively. The challenge is to move from a description of physical details and venture into emotions, thought processes and opinions of their characters, in maximising the potential of the Climax in their story.
Final Thought:
Time for a Strong Conclusion – Bring Your Audience Home!
We have gone through three components of the Story Curve thus far, and your child’s story is already taking shape. With the various components in place, the final step is to tie the various threads together by bringing the reader to a complete, wholesome and valuable Conclusion, especially after going through that story journey. In our final instalment for this series, we will explore how your child can bring the story home with a strong Conclusion! Till then, do share your child’s stories thus far and how they have applied the Story Curve!
Public Speaking Academy strives to help students with both types of communication:
For written communication:
English Tuition for Kids – Primary 5 & 6 (PSLE):
http://bit.ly/
For verbal communication:
Public Speaking for Kids / Children:
https://www.