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■ Rising Action

In the rising action, the main character tries to solve his or her problem, getting involved in at least two or three important actions along the way. This builds suspense into the story.

First action: Callum and his watch travel backward in time to earlier that day, when Bruce Buckstead, the school bully, insulted him. This time, Callum has the perfect comeback ready, and the bully stalks away.

Second action: Callum returns to the present and begins using his watch whenever things don’t go his way. If he trips, he goes back and corrects it. If he doesn’t know the correct answer to a question, he finds out and then goes back in time and answers correctly.

Third action: Soon, Callum is considered the smartest, funniest, fastest, most amazing kid at his school. Bruce Buckstead becomes jealous and corners Callum in a hallway.

■ Climax

The climax is the most exciting or important part in a story. At this point, the main character comes face-to-face with his or her problem. (All of the action leads up to the climax.) This part is sometimes called the turning point.