Wednesday's Writer's Tip - In The Middle

Once the beginning of the story is set then comes to the middle. Now middles can sag or they can operate at a fast rush that leaves no time for the reader to breathe. There are things about the middle that should be there. The middle is the greatest part of the story.

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V Swain gives a lot of hints about how to keep the middle moving forward toward the object, what the main character or character wants or doesn't want.

The middle of the story is made up of scenes and sequels. The middle of the story means changes and adjustments. So have your hero, heroine or even the villain face some change. This can be a small change and that presents a problem that must be solved or the character may have to adjust to that change.

Don't stand still. We've all read stories where it seems as though the same scene is repeated over and over again. Nothing changes. The character does the same things, says the same things. There is no adjustment to what the change has brought about. The reader becomes bored. Sometimes the author does as well.

New information arrives. The character reacts. They solve a small segment of the problem only to have something else arise. The middle builds from scene to scene sort of like climbing stairs to reach the moment when it's down the ramp on the other side. Each change will move the story closer to the end. Change is what moves the story closer to the moment when the character or characters receive or lost what they started out to find.

More on Middles next week.