Connecting the middle to the end

What do you do when you hit that blank spot?

Click to expand...

I keep writing. Sometimes I end up with plot holes I need to fix later (since my creativity is lacking at the time), and sometimes it just clicks. Either way, it allows me to keep pushing forward.

I think the issue is completing the story. Finishing it, despite it possibly turning out "dull" or "predictable," could be a big step forward. And you never know, it might turn out well.

If it doesn't, you can always revise later.

ETA: You mentioned you already have an ending in mind for your story. Outlining might help you plot out how to get from point A (the middle) to point B (the end).

Have you outlined the part you've already written to take stock of what's there and by extension take stock of what is needed to finish the book? I feel silly mentioning the same book in two threads in a row in this subforum, but Blueprint Your Blockbuster has a specific set of instructions for using 2/3 of a manuscript to figure out what should be in the rest, and what if anything is out of place in the first part and gumming up the works. The general concept there is to identify things that show up repeatedly in what you've already written, whether these are themes, symbolism, tropes, or what. A thing that shows up repeatedly is referred to as a series. Usually these series continue throughout a book, so they are a first suggestion about what content should go into your remaining part of the book. Or you may discover that you have ended one and need something else to take its place, or that ending it was a mistake and you should go back and make that change to allow you to move forward. Or you may have a lone element that doesn't fit, but you don't want to discard it, so instead you could change it a bit to make it fit in with one of these series.

You could try working backwards. I learned this from a mystery writing workshop I attended. Basically you start with your ending and ask "What happened just before that?"

Try using short phrases to describe the action ie; car chase, sword fight, big discovery, building explodes etc.

Once you have a basic idea how to move from the middle to the end, then start working it through scene by scene.

I think of this as mapping my story. I know where I need to go, and I will generally move in the correct direction, but sometimes I have to take some side routes that are way, way off course before I figure out how to reach my final goal.

I think the issue is completing the story. Finishing it, despite it possibly turning out "dull" or "predictable," could be a big step forward. And you never know, it might turn out well.

Click to expand...

Great advice.

Blinkk said:

I usually hit a plateau with my stories. 3/4 of the way through I lose interest, or the plot hits a dead end or my creativity stops completely. I have several stories that are all about 3/4 finished and I don't know where to go with each one.

What do you do when you hit that blank spot? I don't want to force it, otherwise it becomes predictable and dull. I have the endings figured out but connecting the middle of the story to the end is very difficult to me. Any tips?

Click to expand...

I hang on to friends or family. I have someone I trust fully that I go to whenever I feel stuck and we brainstorm together. Bringing in that extra mind is really helpful, many of his ideas are great (he isn't a writer though very creative and we share similar interests) and sometimes I don't use them but they help me think differently.

BTW, sometimes even when I just tell him my problem, saying it OUT LOUD, helps me think of solutions.

Sometimes it helps me to imagine a random scene with my characters--one that has nothing to do with what's already happened. I've had several tangents/daydreams turn out to be crucial story pieces after letting them evolve a bit.

If you're bored, it could mean one of several things. It could mean that you've fallen into talking-head-land instead of letting action happen (a good cure for this is ninjas or something that will force your characters into action. You can always edit later). It could mean you've rambled a bit past an important structural point, and creating an outline could help with that. I think most commonly, writers get bored because we become intimidated. We don't know where to go next and instead of confronting the problem (with an outline, with more writing, with anything), we step back to let ourselves mull it over. And then we lose steam.

So brainstorm. Write down a list of things that could happen next and write the first one that grabs you. Write the climax. Get more familiar with story structure. Imagine the movie trailer. Cut the last few scenes you wrote and take it in a new direction. Anything that will keep you writing will help, I promise.

I think a 3/4 through plateau is very common among writers (I believe Neil Gaiman mentioned something about always hitting trouble 3/4 through), so you're probably in good company there

Whenever I hit a spot like that, I find I just need to push through and keep writing, knowing I can go back and edit later. It stops the ideas from stagnating before I get back to them, and it keeps my motivation up, so I don't keep starting new projects and never coming back to earlier ones.

Another thing I find very helpful is writing a timeline - backwards from the ending if that helps more - of what is left to happen, and then just writing the next bit, and the bit after that, and the bit after that. It removes the need to consciously connect as you write, because as long as you follow that plan, you've got the links there.

Hope that helps, and good luck with your writer's block,
- Vella

Blinkk said:

I usually hit a plateau with my stories. 3/4 of the way through I lose interest, or the plot hits a dead end or my creativity stops completely. I have several stories that are all about 3/4 finished and I don't know where to go with each one.

What do you do when you hit that blank spot? I don't want to force it, otherwise it becomes predictable and dull. I have the endings figured out but connecting the middle of the story to the end is very difficult to me. Any tips?

Click to expand...

I really, really like these tips:

http://io9.com/5916970/the-22-rules-of-storytelling-according-to-pixar

I point you to #9.

write an anchor ending early on

Maybe a quarter of the way into a novel I'm thinking about the ending. Usually do a rough draft of the last few chapters. That pulls me in, and give me a goal to get to.

If you can't visualize the ending, you have no where to go. Like driving with no destination. For me, having an ending is critical.

tko said:

Maybe a quarter of the way into a novel I'm thinking about the ending. Usually do a rough draft of the last few chapters. That pulls me in, and give me a goal to get to.

If you can't visualize the ending, you have no where to go. Like driving with no destination. For me, having an ending is critical.

Click to expand...

I think it's important to visualize the ending, but I never actually write ahead. That deprives the characters of the chance to grow organically, IMO.

As someone mentioned before, going to the ending i.e. writing it out and working backwards can help. I've done that with a couple of stories and it aided me a lot.

However, when that doesn't work, I always think of the turning point. The MC has to realize somewhere along the way that he/she is in a bind and has to work his/her way out of it. Where the difficult part comes in is HOW they work it out. Perhaps another character enters and says or does something to make them realize what in the hell is going on or perhaps they realize it themselves and that's where the writer has to get creative.

JMO on all this...