The climax is the highest point of tension in the story. It is at this point the main character must act or make a decision that will forever alter his/her path. Sometimes people call this the point of no return because after this event the main character can never go back to the way things were.
Characterization is how an author presents a character to a reader. The author does this through the character's speech, thoughts, actions, effects on others, and his/her looks. This reveals the character's values, history, traits, etc.
Conflict is a battle between or among opposing forces. There are four main types of conflict: man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society, and man vs. himself. The first three are considered external conflicts, while the last is an internal conflict.
