How to Write the Middle

The middle is often a tough place to be.

When you're in the thick of it, life can sometimes feel hopeless, bleak. It's something we've already seen in Psalm 88, but as we know from resting in God's world, the middle isn't the end.

The whole world held its breath when Jesus died to defeat death. But defeat it He did.

And the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is working through your life too.

Just think about that!

So when we present the middle to our readers, we need to come at it from a place of objectivity. When we take a step back, we can be honest, revealing the hard truths of our stories, but we can also deliver them in a way that points to the hope of things to come.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

• Outlining events will help keep you on track.

I can't believe I'm saying this because I am, what we call in the industry, a "panster" (it's not as perverted as it sounds) when it comes to outlining. But I've learned the benefit of writing out the course of my storyline while writing my current novel, a gift that keeps me focused and the reader ready for "what's next."

When outlining the middle of your story, reflect on three to five "big" events that God has used to lead you to where you are today. Consider the people you've met who have helped change your mindset, the experiences you've endured that helped you to see God in a whole new way. Allow those major milestones to be the major points of your story, leading you to the finish line.

• Good pacing is a gift to your reader.

Coupled with a strong outline is the gift of good pacing. I think we've all seen a movie that tends to drag as if the production team forgot that editing is a thing that exists. Knowing when to travel into your next milestone is key. You certainly want to bring color and vivacity to a pivotal moment of your story, but you also want to make sure you don't stew in the details for too long. As with Faulkner's insistence that we kill our darlings, we also need to be mindful of when to remove "dead air," so to speak, and keep the storyline moving.

• You can only be honest with your reader if you're honest with yourself.

Honesty and transparency often feel like dying arts. But in reality, they're a core tenant of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Lying to ourselves or others is a fruitless practice, and until we can be truthful about our pasts – about what we've done and what others have done to us – then we can't thoroughly confess and repent. And a testimony should point to these gifts God gives us – the opportunity to lay our burdens at His feet and choose His yoke and not the one that's been strangling us this entire time. If our ultimate goal is to show others the goodness of God through our stories, then it's important to confront the mess of ourselves and know that we're loved despite it.

Move on to the next lesson to hear some of my thoughts on writing the middle of your story.