By Tara Johnson, @TaraMinistry
Oh, the dreaded sagging middle. No, I’m not talking about flabby abs, although I do need to hit the gym. I’m talking about every writer’s kryptonite: the middle of their story.
If you’ve never heard of ‘the sagging middle’, take heart. Perhaps you’ve been able to avoid this malady, but the longer you write, the more likely you are to face this foe at some point. The sagging middle does exactly what it describes: it’s the point, usually around the halfway mark, when your story loses momentum, wanders, the characters refuse to behave, and each scene feels like you’re slogging through wet cement.
In my humble opinion, the middle is the hardest part of the story to write. We’re often taught how to power-pack our story’s opening scenes, and craft books teach us how to lead each story’s ending to a satisfying conclusion, but the peskiest piece is usually smack-dab in the center.
No need to despair. The key to fixing your story’s middle is fairly simple…and it’s found in your main character’s GMC (goal, motivation, & conflict).
Before we grab a corset to cinch our waistlines, let’s address our main character’s GMC. Each character should have a solid goal and a motivation for that goal. (The motivation is the ‘why’) The main character(s) GMC is the skeletal framework for the entire story.
In Star Wars, Luke is desperate to flee his home planet (goal) because he wants a life of adventure like his father did (motivation). In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy longs for a land ‘beyond the rainbow’ (goal) where she will be appreciated and there is no more trouble (motivation). In The Sound of Music, Maria longs only to take her vows (goal), despite her habit of falling headlong into catastrophe, because she has dreamed of joining the Abbey since she was a little girl after hearing their beautiful music. (motivation)
Boiled down to their most fundamental elements, these goals are clear and concise. Once we know the goals, we can then throw obstacles at our characters to keep them from what they want. But building a maze of problems isn’t enough to keep our story’s middle from hitting the ‘blahs’.
In Act 1, we develop the setting and give our characters some kind of explosive event that kicks them out of their comfort zone. (Also called The Door of No Return). Most of Act II is the gradual building of speed bumps, obstacles and conflict, but many writers forget to utilize the single most important piece of Act II: The Midpoint Crisis.
Simply put, the Midpoint Crisis is where you get to turn the tables on your beloved character. You shift the goal so your character not only must reach for their original dream, but now they have a whole new set of issues to solve.
If your character’s goals and motivations are the skeleton of your story, the Midpoint Crisis is the boom that rockets conflict into orbit.
Let’s use The Wizard of Oz again as an example. Dorothy and her friends finally make it to the Emerald City, despite the witch’s attempts to waylay them, but instead of giving them what they’d hoped, the wizard says he will not grant their request until they kill the Wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy’s goal is no longer just to find a place with no trouble, or to return home, but now she has to kill a witch who wants her shoes.
The Midpoint Crisis is like running through a maze to escape a hungry lion, but when you turn the corner, you see the lion is no longer behind you. He’s charging you head-on! You must pivot or die. This creates a sense of urgency and changes the rules for the rest of the story.
It sounds fairly simple in concept but many writers wonder how to achieve this twist. Below are some tried and true methods to flip your script and make your middle just as strong as the rest of your story.
- Complicate the plot. The Fugitive is a perfect example. Dr. Richard Kimball is falsely accused of murdering his wife. When he escapes his sentence, he is on the run from a U.S. Marshal. After doing some snooping, Kimball realizes he can trace the man who murdered his wife. (Midpoint crisis) So now is he not only trying to evade the authorities, but he must prove a murder.
- Have your character lose something vital to them. If you snatch the metaphorical compass from their hands, you open up an entire new world of conflict and obstacles. (Example: Star Wars. Luke thinks Obi Wan can teach him how to be a Jedi but then he watches in horror as the Rebel’s greatest enemy kills his mentor.)
- Introduce a new, abrasive character. Abrasion causes friction, so the midpoint is a great time to introduce some new blood into the story—especially if this character drives your protagonist nutty! This person doesn’t have to be evil or troublesome, but they just need to work contrary to the hero’s goals. Proceed with caution on this though. They must somehow contribute to the plot development or readers will see right through your technique.
- Reveal the true antagonist. This is one of my favorite ways to twist the plot. There is nothing more jarring for your readers than for them to think they know who the villain is, only to discover they’ve been played all along. This will suck them into the story in a fresh new way, and keep the conflict rolling.
- Undermine your character’s strength. Most of our heroes spend the first half of the plot trying to accomplish their goals in their own strength and power, only to fail. One way to give the Midpoint Crisis a twist is to have your hero meet another character who is stronger than he is. (Example: In The Princess Bride, Inigo Montoya is instructed to kill the man in black but begins the sword fight using his nondominant hand to make the fight last longer. He is shocked when the man is black reveals he has done the exact same thing, and bests him.
- Betray your main character. I confess I usually use this technique at the three-quarter mark of my story, but if done well, it could be a powerful tool. Betrayal is an excellent plot device. Not only does it ramp up the internal and external conflict, but it allows your hero to be isolated for a time, giving him more reflection for personal and emotional growth. Have your protagonist’s most trusted friend turn them over to the enemy and watch their proverbial house of cards fall.
- Kill off a character. Proceed thoughtfully and carefully with this one. You don’t want to get rid of a character who is integral to the plot. Death should only be used as a way to give your hero a traumatic push necessary to propel him/her forward.
Try one of these techniques and watch your story’s middle go from flabby to fabulous.
With her stammering tongue and quiet ways, Cadence Piper has always struggled to be accepted. After the death of her mother, Cadence sets her heart on becoming a nurse, both to erase the stain her brother has left on the family’s honor and to find long-sought approval in the eyes of her father. When Dorothea Dix turns her away due to her young age and pretty face, Cadence finds another way to serve . . . singing to the soldiers in Judiciary Square Hospital. Only one stubborn doctor stands in her way.
Joshua Ivy is an intense man with a compassionate heart for the hurting and downtrodden. The one thing he can’t have is an idealistic woman destroying the plans he’s so carefully laid. When the chaos of war thrusts Cadence into the middle of his clandestine activities, he must decide if the lives at stake, and his own heart, are worth the risk of letting Cadence inside.
Everything changes when Joshua and Cadence unearth the workings of a secret society so vile, the course of their lives, and the war, could be altered forever. If they fight an enemy they cannot see, will the One who sees all show them the way in the darkest night?
Tara Johnson is an author and speaker, and loves to write stories that help people break free from the lies they believe about themselves. Tara’s debut novel Engraved on the Heart (Tyndale) earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and was a finalist in the Carol and Christy awards. In addition to being published in a variety of digital and print magazines, she has been a featured guest on Voice of Truth radio, Enduring Word radio, television and podcasts. She is a history nerd, especially the Civil War, and adores making people laugh. She, her husband, and children live in Arkansas.