The middle. It gets such a bad rap, sandwiched there between the beginning and the end. The middle chapters of a book, the middle installment of a trilogy, middle school… the middle is just hard, and sometimes it deserves its reputation for a sub-par experience.
The beginning of a story introduces characters, builds a world, and sets up the plot. The author takes their toy blocks and starts to build things while having all the fun that goes with novelty and creativity.
The end of a story forces characters to face their greatest trials. It ties up the plot in an exciting and neat way. It lets the author tear down the blocks they have built and throw them at the reader, laughing, before rebuilding them into something new.
So what should authors do with the parts in-between? How can you keep readers not only engaged, but in love with the middle of your stories? You play with the blocks.
1. Alter the setting
Once you have set up the basics of your story – the character personalities, the magic system, the social rules, etc. – one of the most fun things you can do is change the surroundings and situations in your story, then see how the structures you have built react to it.
That one character may be confident and competent in his own town, but what happens if you throw him somewhere else where no one knows who he is? Another character may demonstrate the rules of magic to the reader while performing day-to-day activities in a forest, but what happens if she is thrown into combat in a desert? Or vice versa!? Can you think of situations where your social rules may have exceptions, or cause problems and tension?
Switching things up doesn’t have to be a change of location. You could change the season, the group of characters your protagonist is interacting with, the political climate – just change something and play with how it impacts the world and the characters you have built.
2. Raise the stakes
If you have ever read a book or listened to a workshop or lecture on writing, you have probably heard the term ‘raise the stakes.’ It is commonly referred to as a way to build tension, and move a story along. This makes it perfect for the middle of a story.
You will typically set up the plot at the beginning of a story, but that doesn’t mean you can’t alter that plot, or make it a more desperate thing to achieve as you go along. Take Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as an example. The major plot point that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban comes up within the first chapter or two of the book. A bit later on, Harry learns that Sirius escaped to come after him and kill him – stakes raised. It is not until the middle of the book that he learns Sirius was the one who betrayed his parents and got them killed – stakes raised further. The plot point remained the same, but as more information was revealed through the story, it became increasingly intense.
Raising the stakes in the middle of a story strengthens the emotional ties of the readers to the plot. It holds their interest, and makes them want to keep going, both to find out the implications of those raised stakes, and with hope that the stakes will raise further. You can do this by revealing more information as you go along (like the example above), setting a time limit (‘time bomb’) on your character’s goals, or introducing new elements to the plot that must be addressed before or while the characters pursue the main plot. There are so many ways to do this, these are just a few examples.
3. Play in your world
I think the middle of stories can be a lot of fun to write. In a trilogy, for example, the first book is largely dedicated to careful world-building, introducing and enforcing characters in the the reader’s mind, and trying to set up a plot in a way that doesn’t give too much information but keeps the reader’s focus. This is hard. It takes a lot of brain power and careful crafting. The third book in a trilogy is equally or more difficult to write, as the author must tie together the major themes of the story and create a satisfying ending.
The middle book of a trilogy can just be straight-up story telling. I find this freeing, and fun. Of course there is still a plot to follow, and there is often a new and separate plot from the other two books. There may be new characters, and new places to flesh out. But, the reader is already immersed in the world of the story at large, and that allows the author to play with what they have created before they have to tear it down and burn it at the end of the story.
Play with your blocks! Have fun with the elements you have created, and the reader will have fun, too.
4. Develop characters and relationships
The middle of a story is the best time to explore the inner workings of characters’ minds, as well as their relationships with one another. Get to know your characters. Flesh them out as living, breathing people and make your readers form irrevocable attachments to them even as you throw said characters through raging fires and off the edges of cliffs.
Stories are about characters. Plot is great, world building is great, but no one will care if they don’t care about the characters within. Delve into your characters. Reveal backstories. Change relationships. Explore what it means to be human.
5. Explore side plots
Side plots are great tools to keep tension and interest in your story and explore characters and world building on a deeper level. Just make sure you don’t go overboard with it, or readers can become bored, and distracted from the central plot.
Some ideas for side-plots include romances, new friendships, competitions, side-quests, pursuits of information, and development of new skills. This list is by no means exhaustive. Just think of things that could bring out character development or world-building in captivating ways and run with it! Like any main plot, a side-plot should follow a clear arc, and have a satisfying conclusion.
6. Continue to develop the main plot
After all this talk of side-plots and playing in the world we’ve created, by no means should you abandon the central plot of the story in the middle of a book or series. The main plot (or plots) should be present in some way in every single chapter.
If you find yourself in a blank space between major events of the plot and don’t know where to go, try to expand upon the plot. Add to the plot. How can you keep the stakes immediate even through in-between events? This can happen through simple dialogue, to show that the characters are still thinking about and moving forward with the main plot. It could be a reveal of information to do with the main plot, or a new obstacle that arises.
Something else to consider is if you need a middle. Now obviously, any book has to have a middle, but if you are writing a trilogy, and don’t know where to take the second book, think critically about whether you really need it. Duologies are getting super popular these days, and yes you can write a stand-alone fantasy novel. Don’t try to make a middle just to keep to a formula, or you will invariably bore your readers.
The middle of a story provides a great opportunity to play with your characters and the toys you’ve created in your world. Keep it interesting, keep the tension, don’t divert too much from the main plot, and have fun with it!
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