How to Get Unstuck in the Middle of your Manuscript

Writer's block. A curse word among creatives. The mere mention of such a thing risks summoning it into existence. But what do you do when your writing process hits a standstill in the middle of your story? You've spent the last several weeks or sometimes months drafting, but now you've hit a roadblock without an end that threatens to stop your literary aspirations in their tracks. When you're trying to force words on to the page, writing can feel like a chore. The cycle can become perpetuating if you don't get yourself back on the metaphorical writing horse—fast. 

 A lot of writers reach out to me after finding themselves stuck about halfway. Rather than staring at a blinking cursor while trying to conjure the modern equivalent of a Greek muse, let's talk about some tips to actually get your story unstuck.

There's lots of writing advice that will tell you to overcome writer's block by just writing something. Anything! By pushing through these clunky words, your mind will eventually allow you to move on within your manuscript. There's a lot of truth to this. However, this isn't a blog post about simply getting unstuck when writing. This is about how to leverage what we know about story structure to jumpstart your novel from the middle. Instead of talking about all of the writing advice that you've heard before regarding breaking through writer's block, we are going to talk about how you can use what already exists inside your manuscript to keep moving forward on the page. Let's get into it! 

Unstick your Story Using the Story Question

Every story has a central question that it's trying to answer. I talk about this in my blog post about how to pitch your book in one sentence, but the key to your story question is the stakes. In other words, what will happen if your protagonist fails? I break up the story question using the following formula:

Will the protagonist [learn their internal theme] and [achieve their external goal] or fail to [learn their internal theme] and lose [stakes]? 

The middle of your novel is essential in answering this question. This is where your protagonist is put to the test with specifically challenging events that force them to make hard choices regarding the story question.  If you're having trouble in the middle, it might be because you aren't centering your story question in your writing. 

Sketch Your Protagonist's Arc of Change

Another trick to help you get new ideas into your brainstorming is to consider your protagonist's internal character development. Stories are designed to facilitate the change of your main character. By putting this journey at the forefront fo your writing, you'll be able to reframe your plot points as they relate to your protagonist's ability to learn the theme. 

Consider: what story events might occur that would encourage your protagonist to consider themselves or their world in a new way?

Brainstorm ideas for events that would be specifically challenging to your protagonist as it relates to their internal false belief. For example, if your protagonist is going to learn to trust others throughout the course of the novel, then you might put them in situations where they have to learn this skill in order to get something they want. See what happens when you center the internal character development rather than focusing on the external plot. You might be surprised to find that it's exactly what you need to keep writing. 

Involve Your Supporting Cast in Your Writing Process

When you get stuck in writing, it could be because your story is reliant upon too few story elements. Your side characters can provide interest and conflict in your narrative when you hit a stopping point. By focusing on a different part of your overall narrative, oftentimes new ideas or twists can emerge. Another character is the perfect opportunity to introduce new information, bring in challenges and derail your protagonist's progress. If you're stuck in a scene, try adding a supporting cast member with a different goal than your protagonist. Brainstorm what would happen if one of your side characters completely upended your main character's plans. Once you play around with some of these ideas, break out a blank page and start writing. 

Start Writing As though Your Protagonist Controls the Plot

The word character agency is often thrown around in writing circles. Here's what it means: character agency is the effect that your protagonist's choices have on the whole story. If your protagonist is making choices, but the consequences of those decisions don't result in something happening on the page, then the reader might feel like the outcome is pre-determined. The way forward is to center your protagonist's choices at the heart of your narrative. To use a different phrase, your reader should feel like the end of your story is actively being decided in front of them. This makes them feel like part of the story. 

Oftentimes, agency can come into play when editing a manuscript. When you feel stuck, it can be tempting to solve problems by convenience or use solutions that are easy for your protagonist. However, these narrative decisions can have implications on the agency of your protagonist if the choices they make don't effect the outcome of the story.

Use Your Midpoint to Increase the Stakes

Whether you want to write a chilling thriller or a cozy romance, the purpose of the midpoint remains the same. At the half-way point, the writer is given the crucial opportunity to convince their reader to finish the rest of their book. This comes in the form of a stakes-raising plot point that brings fresh perspective, new information or increases the stakes. A common form of a midpoint is in adding a clock or some sort of time objective into the plot so that the reader feels an increased sense of pressure. If you're struggling to get through the second half of your story, consider your midpoint. Is it increasing the stakes for your protagonist? Does the reader gain a new understanding of what could happen if your protagonist fails? 

When we are in a rut, it can be difficult to see how these minor adjustments can have a big influence on the outcome of the novel. However, little shifts like raising the stakes can make all the difference when you're writing in reengaging your interest in the story. 

When you need to write, it can be frustrating to hit a wall. If you're feeling stuck, try implementing some of the tips that I've listed here in order to get your writing moving. If you're still stuck, it might be time to reach out for professional help in order to reach the coveted end of your manuscript. 

That’s all for now! For more writing tips and tricks, feel free to reach out to me or learn more on my Instagram below: