Turning Points: Climax and Resolution

Pinpoint a story's climax and explain how the resolution settles the conflict.

The climax is the turning point of a story: the moment of highest tension when the main conflict comes to a head and the outcome is decided. It is not simply the most exciting scene; it is the point after which things cannot go back. The resolution follows, showing the results and how characters have been changed. To find the climax, ask: at what moment does the main character make the decision or take the action that settles the central conflict?

In an original story, Kofi has spent weeks hiding that he broke his neighbor's telescope. Tension rises as the neighbor asks around. The climax comes when Kofi knocks on her door and confesses. The resolution: they repair the lens together, and she invites him to watch a meteor shower. Notice that the confession, not the meteor shower, is the climax, because that is where the conflict of hiding versus honesty is decided.

• 1The climax is where the main conflict is decided
• 2It is the point of no return, not just the most exciting moment
• 3The resolution shows results and changes