It happens to everyone. You’re moving along in your book when suddenly it’s like every scene is the same scene. As though the characters can’t seem to move. And as if the plot has gotten up and left the building.
That, my friend, is called the Muddy Middle. It’s a swamp of words and cold coffee and writerly frustration. And it can make many a writer give up or think their story isn’t worth continuing.
Want to know what I suggest?
Stop writing.
And return to the beginning of character development.
Who are they? What do they want? What is their personality? What has happened to them in their lives? How has their life affected them and what worldview has it created in them? What flaws have they developed that will get in their way? How should they change by the end of each scene and by the end of the book?
The other day, a writer and I were talking about the place in her book where the two soon-to-be lovers were to meet. She had written a quick meeting that resulted in a date, but then was stuck. The date had little conflict. It seemed to go nowhere but ‘happy’ (she was only halfway, so this is not good. A story cannot end in the middle of the book!) Clearly, the plot had gone off the path of what she expected and it all started with the meet scene.
Why? Because at the beginning this writer had set up a female character who was no nonsense, high-strung, trusted no one but herself and had NO TIME. We set to brainstorming with our first questions being: “Would this high-energy, no nonsense woman accept a date from a stranger? Would she be so taken in by his charm that she would say yes? And if so, why?”
Not that the MC (main character) the writer set up is wrong. She isn’t. Nor was the idea of the scene for their meeting. But both of them together was wrong for this book. Either the character would have to change or the meeting would have to change. At least slightly.
Are in the muddy middle and want to get out? Or do you want to avoid it all together? It is possible!
What it takes is developing the characters so solidly that when you write a scene in which they react contrary to who they are, you can immediately erase and rewrite. Or perhaps you strategically write each scene with your MC’s development in mind (depends on the writer). To do so, you need the MC’s desires, needs, wants, goals, flaws, fears and world views. And MOST of all you need WHY they have these specific desires, needs, wants, goals, flaws, fears and world views.
Then you need to know the same for any other character who is central to the story.
Sound like a lot of work? It is, but it can be fun. And if you come to the Character Development workshop, you’ll leave with the tools you need to write engaging characters who won’t act contrary to themselves in the future. The workshop won’t just be about learning, it will be about interacting and brainstorming and putting answers to questions. Actively developing your characters. Either from scratch or filling in the gaps.
Characters are more than physical descriptions. 3D characters are just as complex as actual humans are, which means we need to get to know them as real human beings. Just like getting to know a friend or a lover. We can predict the moves of those around us because we KNOW them. It’s the same (or should be) with our characters.