Step 6: Discovery Writers: Building Through the Middle & Avoiding Collapse & Devastation

Welcome to the middle of your novel, the place where dreams go to die. Too harsh? Maybe. But the middle is where countless first drafts collapse under their own weight. It’s where that initial burst of inspiration fades, where plot holes become gaping sinkholes, and where you start wondering if you had any business trying to write a novel in the first place.

The good news? Every novelist experiences this. The better news? There are ways through it.

Let’s be honest about what happens in the middle. You’ve written the exciting beginning. Your characters are established. The initial conflict is underway. And now you’re facing the vast expanse of pages between that setup and the climax you might vaguely envision. It’s like looking across the Grand Canyon and trying to figure out how to build a bridge as you walk across.

For discovery writers, this is the ultimate test. Without an outline as your safety net, you’re truly exploring unknown territory in the middle. Here’s some practical advice on how to navigate the middle without your novel collapsing:

Understand the Function of the Middle: The middle isn’t just filler between beginning and end. It’s where your story develops depth and complexity. It’s where characters evolve, relationships transform, and simple problems reveal their true complexity. Embrace this rather than fight it.

Create a “Midpoint Revelation”: Even without knowing your ending, try to engineer a significant revelation or twist around the middle of your book. This creates a pivot point that divides your novel into “before” and “after,” instantly giving structure to that shapeless middle. It might be a new understanding of the problem, a betrayal, a raised stake, or a shift in your character’s goal. However, if you don’t have this, it might also be a place where you mark it up for your revision, with some ideas that you might try in revision.

When I was struggling with the middle of my novel, The Librarian and the Monsters of the Apocalypse, I realized that I needed to develop the larger story—the king taking over the country of America after the apocalypse. I found that developing this aspect of the story helped me realize how my story for the particular novel in the series, fit with that larger plot. I was able to develop both in more detail, and the story deepened and the plot expanded.

The Try/Fail Cycle: One of the simplest ways to generate middle material is the try/fail cycle. I love the try/fail cycle. I’ve used it a lot., Your character tries to solve their problem, fails, faces a new complication, tries again, fails differently. Each attempt should be logical but lead to unexpected results or at least believable ones that push the story forward. This naturally creates escalation and keeps readers engaged on a local level. As always, though the reader needs to feel they’re progressing toward some ultimate ending, so the try/fail needs to be linked to the main plot or a subplot in some way.

Follow the Consequences: When stuck, look back at what’s already happened and ask, “What are the realistic consequences of these events?” Often, you’ve already planted seeds for your next developments without realizing it. That’s discovery writing. Trust your subconscious.

Introduce New but Related Problems: As initial problems move toward resolution, introduce new complications that are organically connected. The detective solves one murder but discovers it’s connected to three more. The couple resolves their misunderstanding but now faces opposition from family. This layering of problems or goals keeps your middle from feeling episodic or repetitive.

Deepen Character Relationships: The middle is where relationships get complicated. You’ve set up some conflicts. Work on developing them in the middle. These might be romantic relationships or friendships or enemies. Conflict is essential to any story. The middle calls for some development of conflict in order to keep the story interesting.

Manipulate Plot : Trap your characters together in a situation they can’t easily escape, physically or metaphorically, that forces conflict and revelation. A snowstorm strands enemies in the same place. A family secret requires estranged siblings to work together to save their parents.

Remember the Subplots: If your main plot is stalling, shift focus to a subplot for a while. This gives you a mental break while still moving the story forward. Often, working on the subplot will illuminate solutions for your main plot.

The Placeholder Scene: When truly stuck, write a bare-bones scene with minimal description. Sometimes a “placeholder” gets you past the block. Later, you’ll replace it with a properly written scene, but for now, it will help you keep momentum.

The List of Ten: When you don’t know what happens next, make a list of ten possibilities—from the obvious to the outlandish. Force yourself to complete the list even when it gets hard. Then use the most compelling option, even if it’s not what you initially expected.

Raise Personal Stakes: The middle is where external conflicts should become deeply personal for your protagonist. What started as a simple job becomes a quest for redemption. A new relationship brings back a childhood trauma. Finding the killer becomes about the narrator facing some demons from his past. Make it personal.

Trust the Process, Trust Yourself: The middle is where a discovery writer has to trust his or her subconscious. Trust your instincts that your subconscious will make mostly the right choices. You will find your way. The time for analysis and decisions about good and bad choices is in revision.

Here’s what NOT to do in the middle:

Don’t introduce too many new characters. The middle isn’t where you want to start a whole lot of new threads.

Don’t suddenly shift to a completely unrelated plotline out of desperation.

Don’t resolve your main tension too early unless you have a stronger one to finish with.

And above all, don’t stop writing just because it feels hard or messy.

The middle of your novel looks skeletal and unfinished. It’s like the frame of a house. It’s something, but it’s hard to know what exactly at this point.

Keep writing, keep building, in the middle. The blueprint exists in your subconscious. Keep pushing forward until the blueprint reveals itself.

The only way through it is to push through. Just like with the beginning, you need to write one scene at a time and build on what you wrote before.

A FINAL IMPORTANT SUGGESTION

Let me propose something that some of you might embrace. Yes, the middle is challenging. But instead of thinking of it like many do (especially many writing in writing advice books), try to think of it as an opportunity. It can be a place where you use your creativity to come up with exciting additions and creations to your characters, setting, and story. Have fun with it or at least approach it like a chance to use an essential part of your writing—your imagination. Embrace this part of your novel, which is, after all, essential to developing your story.