How many words in does your climax take place?

lm728 · Jan 18, 2010

Mine is when the MC's mother dies suddenly, and the MC starts to veer out of control in her morals, etc. At least, I'm hoping that's the climax of the book--it's around 35K in. The only problem is, my whole novel is projected at around 50-55k, and I think I may have created too many subplots. Anyhow, I'd love to hear from other people about when their climax was placed, to get a feel on how to fix my pacing. Thanks.

bclement412 · Jan 18, 2010

I'm not quite sure where mine is, but I do know that it's either 35,000/62,000 or 44,000/62,000.

lm728 · Jan 18, 2010

Okay, good to know that I'm not completely off the mark.

DrummerGirl · Jan 18, 2010

Mines around 26k/63k

Although, doing a bit of a major overhaul of the build-up to the climax, so word count could change. My book gains a lot of momentum after the climax. After this point, every BETA said they couldnt put it down. But the beginning is slow (groan). So really trying to get the beginning sharper and more dynamic. Already cut 8k out of it...

Sage · Jan 18, 2010

The length of my climax is definitely dependent on the novel.

Fireflies (MG): 26K/28K
Trouble: 39.5/43.3K
LS: 62/66K
DownLoad: 43.5/60K
HS: 56/67K
AFTRLYF: 49/62K

Sage · Jan 18, 2010

You guys reach the climax really early, percentage-wise of the novel. Is it really a climax if it lasts over half the book?

free_cashews_on_me · Jan 18, 2010

Sage, I must agree with that.

Fall of Man: 31/36k

maddicharmed · Jan 18, 2010

Sage said:
You guys reach the climax really early, percentage-wise of the novel. Is it really a climax if it lasts over half the book?

I've got to agree with Sage. A novel I trunked last year had the climax about 47,000/50,000.

DrummerGirl · Jan 18, 2010

I'm refering to my pivotal event as the climax. Its the ending of Part One, then I still have Part Two and Part Three.

My story opens with 4 weeks left to go of high school. Each chapter titled, 27 days before, 23 days before etc, until The Day. The Day, is where a freak accident kills two students, witnessed by the MC. All Part one builds to this event, with increasing tension. (Which I think of as a climax?).

Then I have Part Two and Part Three, which is where the rest of the story continues, over summer hols and into the beginning of college. Although there's another climax in part three, more towards the end of the novel, though not as catastrophic as the first one.

I guess where your climax is depends on how you tell the story and where (what point in the MC's life) you choose to tell it from... although, the climax from part one doesnt ride out the whole way to the end, the tension varies...

Toothpaste · Jan 18, 2010

I think then you are referring to catalyst, a moment that sets a series of events in the story in motion. The term "climax" in literature is very well defined. You can't really decide you want to change the definition. I suppose, yes, this moment for you could also be considered the climax to part one of your story, but it isn't the climax of the entire book, and when asking others for theirs it's a bit confusing then to find that what you mean isn't what they mean.

Marzipan · Jan 18, 2010

Me thinks you are talking about 'Rising Action' not 'Climax'. Many of the best books i've read have only a few pages of climax.

If you read the entire Harry Potter series and you get to the Deathly Hollows, Harry only fights Voldermort for like...maybe nine pages. So you have about (this is a very, very rough estimate) 450,000ish words of story and about 4,000ish words of Climax.

DrummerGirl · Jan 19, 2010

*smiling sheepishly* Nice, Toothpaste and Kidd. Catalyst is definitely the word that describes my event 23k in

Not really sure if I even have a climax? (Looked it up

) Mine WIP more resolves itself in stages rather than in one moment/chapter of intense resolution, unveiling, etc.

Zoombie · Jan 19, 2010

Rising action starts right about when the Mcdonalds manager is hacking up hobos for their souls and tasty flesh. Sooo...10,000.

Major climax starts with them driving in through the plate glass of the Guardian lobby and fighting the Big Toothy Monster, then the Committee and saving the world.

Soooo...

About 50,000 words in.

Momento Mori · Jan 19, 2010

My catalyst (or inciting event) happens in the first chapter - a brutal murder.

My climax is currently at the 100,000 word mark - a massive fight at the British Museum.

MM

Parametric · Jan 19, 2010

For the urban fantasy the inciting incident starts at 500 words, and the climax runs from about 55k to 63k out of a total 68k. For the epic fantasy the inciting incident starts at 150 words. I guess strictly speaking the climax runs from 75k to 83k out of a total 86k, but really I think of the last 30k (the end of act two and the whole of act three) as one long running climax. :tongue

lvae · Jan 19, 2010

Oooh, this is a good question. I've been procrastinating in my attempts to write a synopsis for days. This made me really think about exactly *where* the story's climax is. Sadly, I never thought it through before.

I now know.

The climax occurs in 64/78k (including the trigger event), and runs on for 3k to lead to the beginning of the resolution.

Parametric · Jan 19, 2010

DrummerGirl said:
*smiling sheepishly* Nice, Toothpaste and Kidd. Catalyst is definitely the word that describes my event 23k in

Er ... are you sure? There's no inciting incident at all in the first 23k? That's an awful long time to go without any plot, conflict or drama.

dystophil · Jan 19, 2010

Hm. In this current draft the inciting incident happens about 700 words in. Not bad, compared to the horrid first draft where it took me like...oh I don't know..20,000 words to even make a point? I'm so glad this is running on its third draft now and things finally seem to be in order.

gideonna · Jan 19, 2010

My catalyst happens in the first chapter - the discovery of the locket.

There is a false climax 32/50K and the story finally peaks around the 43K mark - rising and falling for approx 3K words.

I have lots of mini-events leading up to the first peak.

lm728 · Jan 19, 2010

Thank you!

yes, I meant catalyst...should have paid more attention in English class...

thothguard51 · Jan 19, 2010

If your book climaxes during the first third, I think that is called premature ejaculation...

I mean once you climaxed, whats left? A smoke?

Each of my chapters has an event, large or small - physical or emotional, but they are all catalyst to propel the readers interest. There are lots of subplots that get revealed as the story moves along, but they all lead to the final confrontation in which the story climaxes. Only then can the reader go for a smoke and a handy wipe...

Sage · Jan 19, 2010

Ah, catalyst, then. Of course, it's all dependent on what you consider to be the catalyst

AFTRLYF: 12K/62K (when she finds out an angel has died)
HS: 10K/67K (when she goes down to see the demons. Could also be the first chapter, depending on the catalyst)
DownLoad: 5K/60K (When DL is told to go shoot Kristie)
LS: 2K/66K (When Mai meets Joanne)
Trouble: 7K/43K (When Trouble's dad shows up)
Fireflies: Chapter 1 (when we find out about Troy's injury and the ghost)

eqb · Jan 19, 2010

Sage said:
Ah, catalyst, then. Of course, it's all dependent on what you consider to be the catalyst.

True. Some workshops call it the "out-of-whack" event, but there can be one or more smaller catalysts that spark the really big event.

I have one catalyst in the middle of chapter one. Chapter two is when the protagonist directly encounters the two bigger catalysts that launch him into the main plot, but those depend on the first and smaller one.

bclement412 · Jan 29, 2010

Oh if it's catalyst, then my MAJOR one is 9,000/62,000 words in

inkspatters · Jan 29, 2010

I have two catalysts...One is the suicide of an acquaintance which is introduced on the first page. But it doesn't quite seem catalyst-y yet. The second is the reappearance of the MC's mother who abandoned her as a toddler. And I think she finds out about that in the first chapter two. So, both catalysts within the first 2k for me.

How many words in does your climax take place?

i'm baaaacccckkkkkk

i'm baaaacccckkkkkk

Capturing the Castle

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Our Lady of Parentheticals

Insanium in the cranium

I'm not the writer I used to be.

Capturing the Castle

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

Capturing the Castle

Dragon of the Multiverse

Tired and Disillusioned

oh so shiny

Wielder of the Literary Lead Pipe

i'm baaaacccckkkkkk

A Gentleman of a refined age...

Our Lady of Parentheticals

I write novels

The coordinates keep changing...