Crafting the Middle of the Story
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
As a creative writer, you know that crafting a compelling novel or memoir is no easy feat. It requires careful planning, attention to detail, and expert execution. And nowhere is this more true than in the middle of the story. The middle of the story plays a crucial role in developing your characters and plot, setting up the climax and resolution, and keeping readers engaged throughout. But how do you craft the perfect middle while avoiding what’s often called “the muddy middle”? What elements should you include? And how can you avoid common mistakes that trip up so many other writers? In this article, I'll share my expertise as a publishing professional with more than a decade of experience to help you tackle the middle of the story with confidence.
What is the Middle of the Story?
The middle of the story is often referred to as the "second act" or "rising action” of a novel or memoir. It's where the bulk of your character development and plot progression takes place, leading up to the climax and resolution in the final act. The middle of the story is where your characters face challenges, make choices, and grow as individuals. It's where tension builds and conflicts arise, pushing the story forward towards its ultimate conclusion.
Ingredients for Crafting an Effective Middle of the Story
To craft an effective middle of the story, there are several key ingredients you should consider including:
Character Development: Use this section to develop your characters further by exploring their motivations, backstory, weaknesses, needs, objectives, strengths etc.
Plot Progression: Keep things moving along by introducing new obstacles and challenges for your characters to overcome, but weave in the elements you’ve already established rather than always throwing curveballs. You’ll want to make sure your story elements are cohesive.
Tension Building: As you approach climax it becomes important to build tension in order to keep readers engaged, and this can come from the character’s own inner struggle as well as relationships with secondary characters and plot events.
Conflict Creation: To keep things interesting it's important to create conflict amongst characters, which will inspire tension (per the above).
Emotional Impact: Make sure that every scene has emotional impact on readers by using interiority.
Questions to Ask Yourself
As you craft the middle of the story, it's important to ask yourself several key questions:
What are my characters' goals and motivations?
What obstacles will they face in achieving those goals? Are they internal or external or both?
How can I raise the stakes and increase tension as the story progresses?
What conflicts can I create between characters to keep things interesting?
How can I make each scene emotionally impactful for readers?
Common Middle of the Story Mistakes to Avoid
When crafting the middle of the story, there are several common mistakes writers should avoid:
Stagnation: Avoid getting stuck in one place for too long.
Lack of Conflict: Without conflict, your story will lack tension and interest for readers.
Overcomplication: Keep things simple and easy to follow.
Underdeveloped Characters: Don't forget to develop your characters throughout the middle of your story.
Emotional Flatness: Make sure each scene has emotional impact on readers.
Crafting the middle of the story is a challenging but essential step towards creating a compelling story that engages readers from beginning to end. By understanding what the middle is, what ingredients go into crafting an effective middle of the story, what questions you should be asking yourself, and common mistakes to avoid, you'll be better equipped to tackle this critical stage of writing with confidence and skill. I hope these tips have been helpful and wish you all the best in crafting your own masterpiece that sings all the way through!
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