Ciao, SEers. If you’ve been following along when it’s my turn to chat with you, you’ll remember we’re discussing Jill Chamberlain’s Nutshell method. If you’ve missed one or more of the installments or need a refresher on any of them, you can find the other posts here:

• introduction
• protagonist (strengths and flaws)
• the catch and point of no return
• set-up wants
• crisis and triumph

Today, we’ve reached the last of her concepts—the climactic choice and the final step.

Climactic Choice

The climactic choice is the crux of the climax itself.

In an Aristotelean comedy, this occurs when the protagonist is at his or her lowest (in crisis) and is faced with that between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place decision. Here, he or she chooses to move away from his or her flaw and toward the opposite strength.

In an Aristotelean tragedy, this occurs when the protagonist believes he or she is at the pinnacle…