Have you ever wondered why writing half of a novel or short story can be the hardest part? Also, it may be at this point that you want to give up everything altogether! Well, you are not alone and this article will outline some of the reasons and solutions for this common occurrence.

The main thing to keep in mind is that the beginning of a novel or short story has an obvious function. That is, introduce the main characters, suggest a plot, using the basic structure of where, what, why, who and when. The narrative and even the pace of your novel or short story is established from the beginning.

The conclusion or climax of a work of fiction is also obvious. That is seeing a resolution to the obstacles or opposition your protagonist faces.

However, the role of the medium is less clear. It can be seen as the section of your story where you see your central character overcome the difficulties or conflict that you raised at the beginning. This can be difficult to achieve, especially if you are a new writer. Then it can lead to writer’s block because he doesn’t know how to advance his story to its conclusion.

Therefore, to avoid a ‘sunken’ medium, it is essential to plan your novel in as much detail as possible. Pay attention to all your characters, both major and minor. This is essential as the more you know about your characters, the more you will be able to see potential areas of conflict and interaction. It is the conflict that will keep your story interesting and dynamic, thus avoiding writer’s block.

The middle is the point where the plot thickens showing possible twists and turns and unexpected events that add more depth to your fiction.

However, if after careful planning and plotting you still find that your novel or short story has fallen in the middle, you can try presenting a major upheaval or reveal. This could be the unforeseen death of a main character or a character’s betrayal, for example.

This injection of conflict and drama will increase the tension of your fiction and keep the story flowing and engaging. However, if you do introduce a twist, it must be believable and insinuated during the course of your story.

These simple steps should ensure that the middle of your novel or short story isn’t too difficult.