Melanie Nilles

Work on my current project has gone from being as difficult as pulling teeth to easy as brushing them. I know why too–I’ve passed that section known as the dreaded “middle” of the story. Sure, other obstacles stand in the way, but nothing like the middle of a story. Why is that the most difficult part to write?

Consider this: When an idea hits, it often starts out as a “What if…” statement. From that develops characters and setting and plot. I usually know what conflict the characters face and how it should be resolved. It’s getting from A to Z that I stumble over the many bumps in the road. And there’s a big hill to climb known as the middle. It comes after we establish the characters, setting, main conflict of the plot and maybe some sub-plots, and before the final climax. Sure, there are small peaks and valleys of action along the way–that’s the tough road known as the middle. THAT is what I have trouble navigating.

Now, a good story doesn’t falter and slow in the middle. Rather, it keeps its pace. I’m sure you’ve read stories that flatlined. (I can name a few I’ve read, but I won’t list them here.) A good writer recognizes when things start to slow down and isn’t afraid to scrap those sections and start again. Pacing is important to a story. By “Pace”, I am talking about the rate at which the action takes place. You need to find the right pace for your story and stick with it. You don’t want to slow down a fast-paced thrill ride or speed up any work to hurry to the end–that happens in too many stories. Raising the stakes throughout a story isn’t necessarily speeding it up, but having your characters suddenly figure out where every road in the plot leads does.

The trouble with the middle hump is that it involves all the scenes in which the characters may suffer, rejoice, observe, etc. events that lead to the defining moment of the book. Every scene should lead to the climax by having some impact on the plot. That’s the trouble with middles. As writers we can lose our way towards the end we see, which can also change along the way. As long as we’re aware of it, we can correct it. And the sooner we make the correction, the better. The further we veer off course, the harder it is to find our way back. If you’re seen the movie Cars, you probably know what I mean when I use that analogy

Back to my writing.

I deleted a good chunk of the middle when I realized I was heading off course and losing the story. By going back, I was able to see the path I missed and found what the story needed. Sometimes going a little off course can be helpful, but in this case, it was awful. I caught it in time, however.

Now, I’m passed the hump and coasting towards the climax. It hasn’t been an easy road to navigate–few stories are–but I’m always delighted to look back and see what I’ve accomplished and the obstacles I’ve overcome to reach the end. Although the end of my current WIP is still about 15,000 words away, I know that I’m past the hardest part. And I’ll do it all over again after this project!