Writing a Story Middle

How to Write a Great Story Middle

One of the hardest things about writing a narrative essay or short story is getting through the middle. Consider:

• Keep the conflict building: Don’t tidy everything up before you get to your ending. You want to keep the reader interested!
• Keep the action coming: Your middle is where the bulk of your action should take place. Build upon your inciting incident.
• Keep the pacing up: Use dialogue to break up the running text and a discerning eye when rereading in order to identify spots where your narrative drags.
• Weave in backstory: Rather than including all the backstory at the beginning of your story, which gets you off to a non-dramatic start, weave it throughout the story—including your middle—in order to keep your reader invested in the story.

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