Final Confrontation
Writing An EPIC Climax
This is it.
This is the moment you've been waiting for since you started writing this story. The final battle to end all battles.
Except for perhaps the first chapter, this part of the book can also be the most terrifying. Why? Because so many writers are concerned with how to make the climax exciting. And when that's all you're thinking about, it makes for a pretty flat story indeed.
"But wait," you might say, "doesn't the climax HAVE to be exciting? Don't I have to put my characters in a life-or-death situation while entire armies fight in the distance and missiles fly overhead?"
No. You don't.
If a good climax - a good story - was about how much MCU-level destruction and carnage you can cram into it, everyone would be writing that. There would be no such thing as historical, contemporary, romance, comedy, or anything besides fantasy and thrillers. But there is.
So. . . How do writers of these other genres pull it off?
Investment, Not Adrenaline
This is the rule I use for every single book I write. As a fantasy/adventure author with a lot of adrenaline-packed climaxes under my belt, I firmly believe that keeping the reader invested in the characters will always win out over life-or-death. Every time.
That's why anything set in the 'real world' (contemporary, historical fiction, etc.) works. And that's why, if you write action/adventure/fantasy/etc, you need to keep the MC's journey at the center of the climax. The adrenaline can still be there, but that's not where your focus is. It's actually more of a side effect, because if your reader cares about the MC already, they'll have an infinitely stronger response than they would with a character they don't care about.
- War Within
So let's pick up where we left off: Your MC has had their great revelation, realizing how wrong they were and that this journey has transformed them. Now they rise to face the greatest challenge of their life so far, be it the villain or some other antagonistic force.
But what's going on inside during this final confrontation?
It's simpler than you might think. Your MC has identified their skewed worldview, but they haven't overcome it yet. They've realized their fear has held them back this whole time, but they haven't faced it. Now they must do both, if they want to prove their transformation and crush their greatest fears.
- A Test Of Character
No matter how many spaceships do or don't blow up, your climax should boil down to one thing: A confrontation. It's not about the car chase, it's not about the glass slipper, it's not about blowing up the enemy. It's about your MC confronting the root (and perhaps personification) of their fear, declaring that their fear is not who they are anymore. And isn't that what we all want to do?
Victory!
At last, the MC has triumphed - not by being perfect and invincible, but because they finally found the courage to face their fear and grind it into the dust. This doesn't always mean that the MC wins the battle and everyone has a happily ever after - but the MC gets their personal victory, which is what the reader wants to see. (Note: If you're writing a tragedy, this will probably look very different.)
However things turn out, keep one thing in mind: Your reader should be able to tell you your character's development in just a few words. If they can't, and they don't really know how the MC transformed at all, you need to rework the story until they do.
I love writing the climax of a story - especially when there are multiple characters involved! My climaxes usually take up several chapters, though my books tend to run long anyway. Your climax can be as long or short as you want; like everything else, it should serve your unique story before you try to fit it into a mold.
You're almost done with your book! The next and final post in this series will be all about how to finish your story in a way that both satisfies your reader and leaves them wanting more - and different ways to finish a book in a series or as a standalone. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it, and if this post was helpful, share it with your friends!
Best of luck to you on your writing journey, mate!
- Lydia
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