It’s common wisdom that the middle section of your novel is the hardest part to write, especially when you’re tackling your first long project and extra-especially if you struggle with plot. For many of us, the opening scenes come easily and we have a clear idea of the ending we desire. The hard part is the middle sixty percent, or as we call it: Where Novels Go do Die.
In a new post, Janice Hardy offers advice for planning for and navigating this part of your novel, and shares a trick that can help you get there: the Mid-Point Reversal.
“This is a major event that happens in the middle of your novel that helps bridge the gap between the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end,” Hardy explains. “It effectively breaks your three acts into four acts, making each section a little easier to manage.”
When you reach the middle section of your novel, you’ll start writing towards this reversal. Your narrative is escalating – problems keep piling up for your protagonist and and the risk of failure gets bigger. For many writers, this is where the story starts to peter out.
But the mid-point reversal throws your protagonist into disarray. An unexpected event upsets their plan and makes their goal harder to reach. It might be a physical setback or they might learn new information. They might realize that something they believed is wrong. Whatever happens, your protagonist is in trouble. Your minor characters and subplots may figure into the reversal, Hardy says. “I’ve found that having the subplots conflict with the core conflict and main goal work very well to keep a tight plot and the story moving,” she writes. “The subplot might get them what they need (internal goal), but not what they want (external goal).”
Once you’ve effed up your hero’s plan, you can move on to the second half of your middle section, where you might have planned for a second major crisis. By the end of this section, your hero will have no choice but to confront the bad guy.
“By the end of the middle you’re ready for the end,” Hardy says. “Now, the middle doesn’t end with the climax, but the beginning of what leads to the climax. You’ve set up everything so the protagonist is ready to march toward the ending and that final showdown with the antagonist.”
