Story Networks
The 2nd Turning Point & Climax
The 2nd Turning Point spins the story around in a new direction by introducing fresh information, which, in turn, announces and seeds the third and final act. The purpose of act iii is to bring matters to a head, preferably in a final do-or-die confrontation between the protagonist (Hero) and the antagonist, resolve loose ends, prepare the way for a return to the ordinary or changed world, and offer a moral statement in the form of the theme. The relationship of the 2nd turning point to the climax is one of growing dramatic intensity along the path set out by the 2nd turning point, revved up by a constant upping of the stakes, which by definition, involves twists, turns, and surprises, albeit of a less severe nature than those of the turning points themselves.
The Climax and Denouement
Resolving loose ends is precisely the function of the denouement. The final battle between the Hero and antagonist has ended, the Hero has returned in victory or defeat to a changed, or ordinary world, and the theme of the story has been determined. The relationship between the climax and Denouement, is, therefore, one of resolution and explanation.
Summary
The relationship of the 2nd turning point to the climax is one of mounting intensity, inflected by small twists and surprises; the relationship between the climax and denouement is one of resolution and explanation.
This series of posts has examined the main structural nodes of a story, not as lone units performing static tasks, but as nodes whose full function is revealed only when viewed collectively as a dynamic network, with each node defining itself by virtue of its relationships to the nodes before and after it.
Invitation
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