We authors are familiar with the catchphrase, “the sagging
middle,” referring to the middle of a novel where the opening chapters have
done their job to get the characters engaged in the storyline and you arrive at
middle of the book and things slow down. But have you heard of writing your
story from the middle?
I recently happened on this concept when an ad appeared on my Facebook feed for a book titled something like “How to Write from the Middle.” Intrigued, I clicked on the link. I didn’t get further than the next screen because I was asked for my email address and a couple other personal bits of information. Instead, I went to Amazon and typed in the search bar, “writing from the middle.”
I recently happened on this concept when an ad appeared on my Facebook feed for a book titled something like “How to Write from the Middle.” Intrigued, I clicked on the link. I didn’t get further than the next screen because I was asked for my email address and a couple other personal bits of information. Instead, I went to Amazon and typed in the search bar, “writing from the middle.”
I pulled up the book on my iPad and about two paragraphs in, I wanted to highlight and underline most everything. To me trying to highlight on my Kindle app is like trying to grab a pesky fruit fly. I can never seem to grab the line I want highlighted so it stays that way. I pulled out my laptop and began typing notes as I read, and a euphoric feeling came over me. This was exactly what I needed as I developed a plot for a sequel to my current release. (More on that release later!) Within an hour I had already worked through the book, stopping where Bell gives plotters a roadmap on how to apply the method to their style of writing. I closed down for the night and went to bed with visions of my storyline dancing in my head.
The concept is not one hundred percent new, but a unique way of writing a novel using much of the methodology writers already employ. That’s about all I’m going to tell you. But, I hope I’ve made you curious enough to click on the link and investigate the book for yourself. It comes in both a Kindle version and print. No. James Scott Bell didn't pay me to write this post!
TWEETABLES
Pam told me about thebook, which I already had. Her excitement made me pull it up on my Kindle and start reading. Five minutes in, I moved to my computer and started making notes.
ReplyDeleteJB isn't saying start writing the chapters in the middle, but finding out where the "mirror moment" happens. It's a concept I had to check into. What a fantastic breakthrough!