Brittany: Writing the Climax
It occured to me yesterday that the chapter I’m working on is the climax of my novel, which isn’t the most earth shattering realization ever, but it has put me into full blown panic mode. In all my years writing, I don’t think I’ve ever written a climax before. Now that’s a scary realization. When I think about it, I’ve written a lot about stagnation and the inability to move forward. It probably says a lot about how I felt in my 20s. But now that I’m in my 30s, I’m ready to embrace change–figuratively and literally.
I’ve learned a lot of things writing my perpetual novel. Among them, that I avoid writing about conflict and tension, I rely heavily on dialogue to move the plot forward at the expense of exposition, and my secondary characters probably need a book of their own because they’ve hijacked the plot. I’ve made a conscientious effort to improve on all these points.
And now the climax. I feel like I need to match the energy and intensity of the chapter, but instead I feel drained. When you write, do you ever feel like the conductor of an orchestra? Physically directing the art with your very essence? For me, writing is an endurance sport. I am completely depleted after a productive writing session. But right now, I feel exhausted without having run the marathon.
Part of this may be the pregnancy. Lately, after lunch, I practically slip into a coma. And I could understand it if I felt physically tired, but I don’t. It’s my brain that feels sluggish. So I turn to those of you with energy to burn. How do you all build up your energy reserves? And how do you prepare yourself for writing the big scenes?
Studio Mothers: Life & Art 