How To Write A Book...Step 4: Poisoned Apples

The climax! The growing problem has now reached a crescendo, and we're not entirely sure that the characters will survive. This is the most exciting part of the book. My mother, who is a writing teacher, refers to climaxes as:

"The part in the book where your mom calls you down for dinner and you just can't tear yourself away!"

Climaxes, for me, can be the hardest part to write. If you're writing a short and simple story, (which I hope you're doing if you've never written a book before) they can be very easy, but if you're writing a novel you suddenly find yourself with loose ends that you need to take into consideration.

Also, remember the key to climaxes: everything comes to a boiling point.

Now, where did we leave Snow White?

C: Climax
1. The stepmother tempts Snow White with the apples.
2. She takes a bite of an apple and is poisoned.
3. The stepmother runs away and drowns in quicksand, and the dwarfs come home.
4. The dwarfs find Snow White fast asleep, and they lay her in a coffin in the forest.

__ ___ ___ ___ ___

Snow White was in the kitchen when she heard the sound at the door: KNOCK! KNOCK! "Who's there?" she called suspiciously, remembering the dwarfs advice.

"I'm an old peasant woman selling apples," came the reply.

"I don't need any apples, thank you," she replied.

"But they are beautiful apples and ever so juicy!" said the velvety voice from outside the door.

"I'm not supposed to open the door to anyone," said the little girl, who was reluctant to disobey her friends.

"And quite right too! Good girl! If you promised not to open up to strangers, then of course you can't buy. You are a good girl indeed!" Then the old woman went on.

"And as a reward for being good, I'm going to make you a gift of one of my apples!" Without a further thought, Snow White opened the door just a tiny crack, to take the apple.

"There! Now isn't that a nice apple?" Snow White bit into the fruit, and as she did, fell to the ground in a faint: the effect of the terrible poison left her lifeless instantaneously.

Now chuckling evilly, the wicked stepmother hurried off. But as she ran back across the swamp, she tripped and fell into the quicksand. No one heard her cries for help, and she disappeared without a trace.

Meanwhile, the dwarfs came out of the mine to find the sky had grown dark and stormy. Loud thunder echoed through the valleys and streaks of lightning ripped the sky. Worried about Snow White they ran as quickly as they could down the mountain to the cottage.

There they found Snow White, lying still and lifeless, the poisoned apple by her side. They did their best to bring her around, but it was no use.

They wept and wept for a long time. Then they laid her on a bed of rose petals, carried her into the forest and put her in a crystal coffin.

Each day they laid a flower there.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Uh-oh! Now what are we going to do? What will happen to Snow White?

That, my friends, will be revealed in the solution and aftermath. Stay tuned for How To Write A Book...Step 5.

Yours without wax,

Izori