What is the Climax of a Story? Finding Your Story’s Peak

Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, memoir, or narrative poem, building to a big finish is essential. The climax of a story is the make-or-break moment that your readers will remember forever—it’s worth spending a little extra time on to make sure you really get it right.

If the climax is a new concept for you, or if you’ve heard it before but you’re a little unclear on what it means, don’t worry. Read on for everything you need to know about this essential plot point, and how to write a great one for your story.

In plot-driven stories, the climax is thrilling, explosive, and dangerous. In character-driven stories, the climax can be subtler and more internal: the culmination of a crisis of self, the final declaration of love. We’ll look at the different ways crises can manifest below.

Types of narrative climaxes

A great climax isn’t one-size-fits-all. There are a few different types of narrative climaxes that you’ll see in literature and film, and that you can explore in your own writing.

The crucial climax

The crucial climax is what we most often think of when we think of a story’s climax, especially in film. This is the action-packed, ride-or-die, all-bets-off no-holds-barred limitless-multiple-compound-adjectives final battle.

In addition to being visually and emotionally satisfying, this climax brings all the disparate narrative threads together into a cohesive scene. This scene determines the ultimate fate of all the characters: they win or they lose, they survive or they don’t, they save their relationship or lose their true love forever. Every plot point since the inciting incident has been building to this moment.

The cathartic climax

Catharsis happens when characters—and through them, the reader—experience an intense release of emotion. In a story, this happens when the protagonist breaks free of damaging habits or beliefs, overcomes societal constraints, or comes to understand a powerful discovery.

This type of climax is useful for communicating important themes in a way that the reader feels authentically and organically. Tension has been building up throughout the story, and is ultimately dispelled or dispersed because of these themes.

The moral climax

The moral climax is a cornerstone of character-driven fiction, and it refers to a climax in which the protagonist faces a cross of self. This is the ultimate test of temptation, a moment in which the character comes into their full potential—for better or for worse. Here, they discover who they really are.

Especially popular in psychological thrillers, this can also be a form of catharsis. These stories show the reader that in the right circumstances, anyone can be a hero… or a villain.

The tragic climax

In a tragic climax, all the protagonist’s bad decisions up to this point come back to haunt them. This is sometimes preceded by a moment of victory or joy (the inversion of the catastrophe, which we’ll look at below)—the main character thought they got away with their nefarious deeds, only to be faced with ultimate defeat.

Unlike other kinds of climaxes, the tragic climax tends to be what the reader expects. It’s the inevitability of the character’s path that makes it such a powerful cautionary tale.

The twist climax

A beloved trope of the mystery novel, the twist climax subverts expectation. Also called the surprise climax, these scenes reveal new information or come at known variables from a new perspective.

A twist climax can be challenging, but when done well is immensely satisfying. A good climax should feel like a realistic progression of the events of the story, not a surprise plot twist that comes out of nowhere and doesn’t make sense in the world that you’ve built.

Where does a story’s climax occur?

A story’s climactic moment occurs around 90% of the way through the narrative—so almost at the end. If it’s a long climax, like a battle scene, it may start a little sooner; if it’s a short, sweet emotional climax, it may happen a little later. Once the climax concludes, the bulk of the story is over.

The climax resolves the story’s main conflict, and so all that’s left now is the denouement, or final resolution.

Next we’ll look at a couple pivotal moments in a plot that are sometimes confused with the climax.

What’s the difference between the climax and the midpoint?

The midpoint is a point in the narrative which happens—unsurprisingly—at the exact middle of a novel. This plot point becomes a “hinge” which separates the story into two distinct parts.

What becomes confusing is that in the famous Greek story structure known as Freytag’s pyramid, the midpoint is called the climax! But rather than happening right at the end of the third act like a traditional plot climax, it happens dead center in the middle of the second act.

Like the climax, the midpoint is a major event which creates upheaval in the characters’ journeys. The midpoint represents a moment in which the protagonist shifts from reaction to action and begins making choices of their own. The climax, then, is the consequences and culmination of those choices.

What’s the difference between the climax and the catastrophe?

The “catastrophe,” sometimes called the pre-climax, third key plot point, or “dark night of the soul” (really!), is a major event around the middle of the third act which sets up the climax.

As the name would suggest, the catastrophe is a setback. It often occurs shortly after a brief victory, a “bait and switch” that pulls the rug out from under your characters’ feet. Sometimes this feels like its own climax, and the reader might think the story has reached its conclusion. But then! The baddies got away, the ancient artifact was a fake, the real villain was hiding in plain sight all along.

Once the catastrophe has occurred, the characters need to gather all their strength and respond to this final challenge in some way—this creates the climax.

How to write a strong climax

Let’s look at how to write an impactful climax that will keep your readers riveted.

Kick up the stakes

The most important thing to remember when developing your story’s climactic moment is that the stakes—in other words, what your characters have to lose—are higher than ever. This is the scene in which they could either win big, or lose everything.

To do this, look at what’s already been at stake throughout the rising action, midpoint, and growing tension of the final act. Then, ask yourself how you can push this just a little bit further, amplifying and exacerbating the major conflict for an even bigger emotional payoff.

Answer your story’s dramatic question

The “dramatic question” is a useful writing tool in which you distill your story’s essential elements into one Big Question. Like, will the hero catch the criminal? Will the two lovers find their happy ending? Will the rock band overcome their differences and find success?

The climax of a story does two things: first, it introduces a moment of reckoning. Things seemed to be going pretty well, until—!! Now the reader’s not so sure about that happy ending. Second, it answers the dramatic question once and for all. Because after the climax, the story has reached its natural conclusion.

Push your characters to their furthest limits

As well as your external conflicts, pay attention to the culmination of your protagonist’s character arc. Most effective protagonists undergo what’s called a dramatic arc, or a period of change. They may discover their inner courage, leadership, or compassion; they may learn or unlearn a system of belief; or, in a tragedy, they may give in to their greatest weakness.

The climax is your character’s ultimate test of self. You can think of it like the final lap of a race; they need to push themselves just a bit harder to reach the finish line. To accomplish this, look at how your character has changed or what they’ve learned over the course of their journey. Then, have them embody that in some way in order to face the story’s climax.

Cement your story’s theme

Theme is the core message of a story. Your climax is a great opportunity to really drive that home for your readers.

As your characters face their final battle (whether that’s a physical confrontation or a moment of inner reckoning), see if you can have them do so in a way that champions your story’s message. This might involve them embracing a trait or characteristic you want your readers to resonate with, or turning against one that you want your readers to expel from their lives.

The way your story concludes can also communicate powerful ideas about the society your characters live in, or what values are worth fighting for.

Consider genre conventions

Many genres will already have the framework of your climax laid out for you. In a romance, the couple will overcome the odds and find true love. In an epic fantasy, sacrifices will be made as good ultimately overcomes evil. In literary fiction, the main character will often learn to embrace their true, authentic self.

That doesn’t mean you can’t subvert these conventions. But it’s useful to know what readers will be expecting when they open your book. If you do upend those expectations, make sure you do it in a way that honors the story you’re trying to tell (rather than doing it just because you can). You don’t want a climax that feels unsatisfying to your readers.

Make your climax emotionally satisfying

Arguably the most important consideration is to make your climax emotionally impactful in some way. In other words, it should hit your readers in the heart.

Throughout the novel, you’ve built tension and encouraged your readers to invest in the fates of your characters. Your readers have watched those characters overcome challenges, get knocked down, and power forward in pursuit of their goals. Now they’ve reached the pinnacle of the journey in which everything the characters have worked for builds to an explosive finish.

As you develop your climax, look for ways to engage your reader on that emotional level. They’ve stuck with you this long; now, their patience will be rewarded with a big finish.

Climax examples from literature and film

To see how this looks in practice, check out these three examples of stellar climaxes from popular storytelling.

Back to the Future

Back to the Future has repeatedly been called one of the most perfectly plotted films of all time. The big challenge has been set up right from the beginning: the heroes need to find a way home. By the climax a number of other problems have been thrown into the mix, most notably the protagonist accidentally erasing his own existence.

The story reaches its conclusion in a flurry of dramatic background music, complete with a lightning bolt, a near-death experience, and a car zooming down a residential street at the now-iconic 88 miles per hour. The narrative makes it clear that the characters have only one chance to set things right, adding to the high-stakes tension and suspense of the scene.

The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum

The Wizard of Oz, a classic novel that gained international acclaim for its 1930s film adaptation, raises a number of important plot threads throughout the story. It follows a group of four friends, each seeking something they’re missing: home, brains, a heart, and courage.

As the savvy reader might guess, the climax happens when each character realizes they’ve had that missing piece within them all along. In embracing their intelligence, capacity for love, and courageousness, they’re able to face their fears and defeat the wicked witch once and for all. Then, Dorothy learns that she’s been wearing some magic shoes that can send her home (although, fun fact: in later installments of the Oz series, Dorothy decides to settle down in Oz permanently and leave Kansas behind).

The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

The Princess Bride is an odd nested narrative of a novel that blends contemporary commentary with a traditional fairy tale. Similar to The Wizard of Oz, each character is looking for something. By the climax, they find it—though not always in the way they expect.

In the climax of The Princess Bride, the story reaches its point of greatest tension. The heroes storm the enemy’s castle to rescue the eponymous princess and enact justice on a villain. There are chase scenes and fight scenes and celebratory kissing. You can tell it’s the climax because the individual quests each character was on come to a big finish. All of the questions the reader has been asking throughout the novel have been answered.

Reward your readers with a satisfying climax

The climax of any story is the moment in which the protagonist reaches their biggest obstacles yet, and ultimately emerges victorious (or not). It’s the point of highest tension and excitement, and the one your readers have spent 300-odd pages waiting for. Give them a big finish to root for, and keep them hooked to the very last page.