Writing Update
No update here since last night. I intended to write some scenes but I was so tired by the time I was done working that it just didn’t happen. Today is a new day.
Reading Update
Nothing to see here either. If I didn’t write last night, I certainly didn’t read.
Personal Update
Today is my wife and my first wedding anniversary and we couldn’t be happier. Our date Saturday night didn’t turn out as planned and we won’t be able to go out tonight because it’s a Monday and there’s too much real life in the way. We’re going to do our best to make it memorable, though.
Discussion Topic
The Eighths
Part Four (Finale)
This final blog in the series covers the climactic Third Act.
As I’ve said before, this is adapted from what I’ve learned and incorporated into my own process based on K.M. Weiland’s material. Check out her site and her Twitter for more of the same but with increased depth, experience, and insight.
So we’ve come through the Darkest Moment characterized by death and/or loss and our main character has turned fully to the conflict, ready to end this. They gather their gumption and their strength, consult with their friends, and dive into the final confrontation. To me, this marks the seventh eighth. From here it’s the fight itself, which in fantasy is often a physical one culminating with everything the main character has learned throughout the entire book/series.
Even the final confrontation builds, though. There are advances, reversals, triumphs, and failures. The last battle of the book, in my opinion, is a microcosm of entire book to this point. Just as the book built to its epic conclusion in the final fight, the fight itself builds to its epic conclusion in the Climactic Moment, the seventh eighth’s exclamation point. I like Climactic Moments best when they are characterized by a Moment of Awesome. Then it brings EVERYTHING together, every experience the reader has witnessed on the page in a scene of greatest tension and risk. This is also often the main character’s last chance to dive into their Lie and indulge in their Want as opposed to accepting their Truth and satisfying their Need. In a positive character arc (whole other discussion), the MC rises from the Climax forever changed and grown for the better.
After that, you have the Resolution where loose ends are tied and the reader is left with a final emotion from the author and the cast. And then you’ve written or read a book!
I consider story structure ALL THE TIME. I’ll talk a little about that tomorrow with some “out-of-body” experiences when I’ve detected the structure and predicted things happening. It’s super weird and super exciting.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this blog series. Talk to you tomorrow.
May the tide carry you to safer shores.
BSG