on Writers Helping Writers:

Escalation is an important element of story structure. The opening pages are often quiet as key players are introduced, the setting is established, and readers are given a glimpse of what’s wrong in the protagonist’s world. The catalyst then provides a choice, where the hero leaves their ordinary world and steps into a new one. In the next half of the story, they work their way toward the goal that will fulfill them, facing many conflict scenarios that challenge their methods and way of thinking. In those story moments, the stakes get higher, the consequences more drastic, and the clashes more incendiary until everything culminates in a final confrontation that will determine if the hero achieves their goal or not.

This confrontation is the climax of the story. The reader has known from the beginning that this moment would occur; it’s what they’ve been looking forward to, why they’ve stuck with the protagonist for so many pages. A successful climax will help determine how satisfied the reader is with the story, so it’s vital that we get it right.