Plots: Strong beginning and Ending, but where's the middle?

Hi, everyone!

So. I've been rewriting my novel, and I've come to chapter 8. I hit the middle act two (in the 3 act structure) at the end of chapter 6, but chapter 7 was all about the aftermath of the disaster... and now I'm stuck. My outline isn't much help as I only wrote a paragraph on things. It's very vague on what should happen. (Too vague.)

In the first draft, I never really had much of the middle. The 'middle', or act 2, was about 5-8 K of words, depending where the middle is considered to have ended. Now I just don't know what to write.

I've not really *had* much in the middle to write usually in anything I've written. Act 3, the ending will be quite long, but there has to be something in the middle where all the suspense builds up, right?

So, do I need to make the plot thicker? Add subplots? (I have 2, but the end of the act 1 meant that I can't mention it until towards act 3 and as for the other - the next main event happens towards the ending). Normally, I would just go to the ending, but it won't make any sense.

I'd appreciate any suggestions! If needed, I could post a quick summary of the story to help.

Thanks everyone!

Under the spoiler is something about the plot:

Spoiler

Trying not to make this sound absolutely terrible... I have a habit of doing that. I'm not sure if it's because it *is* absolutely... terrible ; )

Bit of background: (Spoilers ahead)

My novel is about the Egyptian President - who was removed from power over a year ago. He attempts to return to power through his allies in the military who have taken over Egypt and are 'watching the transition to democracy'.

Part of his plan is to have the tourism industry suffer. He kidnaps tourists and tortures them and posts videos of it on the internet in a plan to scare Egypt (because this kind of thing hadn't happened before).

So, the trigger is when the first group of people disappear who all have a connection to the Main Character. (The ex-president is the antagonist).

Act one ends when the Main character's girlfriend is kidnapped.

Act two, originally, was to end when when the main character's other friend is kidnapped. Act three would be incredibly long where *everything* happens and it all builds up and then the whole thing is resolved in a good/bad way. (I'm not revealing my ending xD)

I hope that helped!

Ach no laddie! How'm I supposed t' help ye if you donna tell me wha' ye are a plannin' to do? (Sorry, couldn't resist)
Could you give more info on the plot? I have no idea what you should do, since giving out just a word count is slightly....mmm, vague.

Anyhow, you should cut the aftermath of the "disaster" into act three. Ever see one of those plot -chart thingeys? *See below:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/res ... t-diagram/

Very helpful for plot generation-mation. Now, on to something that's REALLY useful, and probably the best advice on plotting I can ever give...EVER (for all you others out there in the other). Have you ever heard of a beat sheet? it's something (relatively) smart screen writers use to get their movies produced. Why is it so effective? it's based off of J. Cambell's various books on story (which everyone who writes should read) and has to do with the classic story plot/outline that resonates with almost every reader. (Except, maybe, isolated Inuits in the Antartic. P.S. Sorry if you are an isolated Inuit in the Antartic and are reading this) The beat sheet was created, based off of aforementioned dude's stuff by a guy named Blake Snyder. And here is my version of his version. (Skirting copyrights and all that lovely rot...) Here you go:
1. SET UP-Intoduce the character's and their normal world, hint at a premise/goal/theme
2. CATALYST-The inciting incident, the hook. (I think it should be on page two, personally) this is what grabs the reader and pulls them into the story. Something happens that, quite frankly, rocks the character's (protaganist, should be) world
3. DEBATE-The MC begins to question themself, asks "what should I do?" Ultimatly the choose to accept the challenge, otherwise they wouldn't be a protagonist would they?
4. BREAK TO ACT 2-Hmm, difficult to define. Best described as a turning point. Something has changed and there is no going back! The proverbial snowball is starting to roll faster...you catch my gist
5. SUBPLOT (B-STORY)-Ah yes! The introduction of a break! The reader should enjoy this, it should be intergrated into the right spot. Not thrown in haphazardly, leaving them to throw the book at the wall in disgust/anguish/anger/horror. Don't make it long, don't ruin the main plot
6. ACTION AND FUN STUFF-Pretty much self explanatory. The characters are running around trying to accomplish the goal/answer life's biggest question/save NY from King Kong...etc. Make sure it's not directionless and random. All this is fun and "eye-candy" so to speak, but it should advance the plot. Keep rolling...
7. MIDPOINT-Ooh, another turning point! (Don't ask me what a turning point is, I'm sure someone else can tell you, cuz' I'm not sure myself...) Oh yeah, it's usually a positive/victorious tone.
8. BAD GUYS CLOSE IN-Also known as a reversal. The worst thing that could possibly happen at this moment. You know, Goldfinger got there before James Bond did and all that cliche stuff....but you better not make it cliche!!!
9. ALL IS LOST-Our poor hero. He's left out in the cold, the desperados stole his cheesecake, and the girl left him for some jerk in Toledo...(you get the point)
The hero should be VERY close to giving up right now. A whiff of death.
10. DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL-Actually, this is a turning point. It's where, driven to desperation, the hero pulls some deep hidden piece of moral advice his green-ish Jedi master once told him. He finds new hope and courage, and steels himself for what comes next...
11. BREAK TO ACT 3-The hero, at this point, acts on his descision to DO something...He's going to take that cheesecake back! No matter the cost. Beef up the stakes here. (Pardon the hashed pun)
12. FINALE-Show down, high noon, duel, race, epic battle, You've seen it a million times, I won't waste time exlplaining it here.
13. RESOLUTION-And this, any college/highschool teacher will tell you what comes here, so I'll save my breath. But make it satisfying! You MUST make it satisfying!!!!

Whew, okay. Did that help at all? You should post the plot and ask others to help tweak it for you.
Anyway, got to go. Fare ye well!
~Elo

While ED's long sheet is good for a starting point, I find movie related scripts are the most predictable you can get. They are formulaic, with each plot being repeated so often because it "resonates with every reader" as ED said. They're not trying to produce something good quality or particularly different— they're just trying to sell movies.

If that's the way you want to go, fine. But, my own opinion is this:

Look at where your beginning conflict ends. This is where you feel like the short middle chunk that leads to the end should be. Look at the situation the characters are in, where you want them to end up, ect.

Then add in a new conflict.

You don't have to "build suspense" for the end of your plot. That is just one conflict in the story. Add in another. Or a third, fourth, fifth... the more the merrier!

That's the tried and true plot building advice in NaNo, and I've heard it repeated by a few authors as well. Whenever you're in doubt, add something to make things harder for the characters. Especially if it's looking like a nice, easy road to the end.

Thanks for the responses, guys.

@Elo - thanks for that! I'm currently seeing where the plot's events would fit into it all, but some of them won't really apply But I think it'll help me work out where the 'beginning' 'middle' and 'end' really begin/end. I'm going to add a little bit where I explain the plot.

@Rosey - They *do* sound the same, don't they? XD I totally understand now. In fact, I'm beginning to feel slightly cheated now xD
Thanks for that. I'll add in more conflict, definitely!

AhmadBlues wrote:Hi, everyone!

So. I've been rewriting my novel, and I've come to chapter 8. I hit the middle act two (in the 3 act structure) at the end of chapter 6, but chapter 7 was all about the aftermath of the disaster... and now I'm stuck. My outline isn't much help as I only wrote a paragraph on things. It's very vague on what should happen. (Too vague.)

In the first draft, I never really had much of the middle. The 'middle', or act 2, was about 5-8 K of words, depending where the middle is considered to have ended. Now I just don't know what to write.

I've not really *had* much in the middle to write usually in anything I've written. Act 3, the ending will be quite long, but there has to be something in the middle where all the suspense builds up, right?

So, do I need to make the plot thicker? Add subplots? (I have 2, but the end of the act 1 meant that I can't mention it until towards act 3 and as for the other - the next main event happens towards the ending). Normally, I would just go to the ending, but it won't make any sense.

I'd appreciate any suggestions! If needed, I could post a quick summary of the story to help.

Thanks everyone!

Under the spoiler is something about the plot:

Spoiler

Trying not to make this sound absolutely terrible... I have a habit of doing that. I'm not sure if it's because it *is* absolutely... terrible ; )

Bit of background: (Spoilers ahead)

My novel is about the Egyptian President - who was removed from power over a year ago. He attempts to return to power through his allies in the military who have taken over Egypt and are 'watching the transition to democracy'.

Part of his plan is to have the tourism industry suffer. He kidnaps tourists and tortures them and posts videos of it on the internet in a plan to scare Egypt (because this kind of thing hadn't happened before).

So, the trigger is when the first group of people disappear who all have a connection to the Main Character. (The ex-president is the antagonist).

Act one ends when the Main character's girlfriend is kidnapped.

Act two, originally, was to end when when the main character's other friend is kidnapped. Act three would be incredibly long where *everything* happens and it all builds up and then the whole thing is resolved in a good/bad way. (I'm not revealing my ending xD)

I hope that helped!

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