Month: June 2024

Do You Like the Mirror Moment in Fiction?

Do you like the mirror moment in fiction?

Today’s prompt isn’t here to inspire a story but to inspire a conversation. Do you like the mirror moment in fiction? Since my theme is writing the middles of stories this month, I’m asking about the mirror moment because that’s where it occurs: in the middle. I learned about the plot point in James Scott Bell’s book Write Your Novel from the Middle, which I’ll review later this week.

The mirror moment is the point somewhere in the middle of the story where the main character reflects on what kind of person he or she is. The decision they make from that reflection fuels the rest of the plot. Once you know about it, you can pick it out of any movie or book that includes it. Of course, not every piece of fiction has a mirror moment. Not every story needs one. It depends on the story you’re telling.

So I’d like to hear from you. What’s your opinion of the mirror moment?

For writing prompts for the middle of stories, click here.

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Why is the Middle of Our Stories A Muddle?

Why is the middle of our stories a muddle?

It’s something of a cliche when writers talk about the troubles they encounter in the middle of a story. But, like most cliches, there’s a kernel of truth to it. So why is the middle of our stories a muddle? As we kick off this month’s theme of dealing with the middle of our stories, I want to uncover reasons for the muddle, which can be different for each writer.

Too Much Freedom

You’ve written a stunning hook and your beginning has set up the main character, the major characters, and the main problem. Now what?

If you haven’t thought beyond the beginning, your story could be suffering from too much freedom. Since you have no direction at this point, you have too many ways you can develop the story.

There are several ways you can fix that.

Develop Your Ending

This may sound like putting the cart before the horse, but knowing how your story ends gives purpose to your middle. If you’re going on vacation, you have an ultimate destination and that limits the routes you can take. That doesn’t mean you can’t explore side routes or take the longer, scenic route, but since you know your final goal, you know how far off the direct route you can go.

Develop Your Characters

Perhaps you’re stuck because you haven’t developed or don’t understand your characters well enough. Go back and review your notes and what you’ve written in your beginning. When I can’t move on in a scene, I ask myself what is the logical next step for a particular character to take. Often that means more complicated writing for me, but the logic for the character makes the story better.

But may your muddle in the middle is the opposite problem.

Too Little Freedom

If you’re a plotter and have your book outlined, you may reach your notes on the middle and find it isn’t working. Many times, once I begin writing, I throw out my notes because what seemed so good in the outline turns out lousy in the writing. Give yourself permission to make a new outline, based off what you’ve actually written in the beginning. Make several outlines, testing different approaches.

Writers, why do you think the middle of stories is a muddle?

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How to Use June in a Story

How to use June in a story

Spring is wrapping up and summer is about to launch. Here are some ideas and inspirations for how to use June in a story.

Father’s Day

This holiday can be a setting for exploring male relationships within a family. Like I wrote in May for Mother’s Day, you can write a story only set on Father’s Day over a number years to show how the male characters change.

In my latest YA cozy mystery, A Storm of Doubts, the story wraps up on Father’s Day. That seemed appropriate for a novel in which my main character Rae Riley doubts she’s calling the right man “Dad” and a friend of her family faces the possibility that he isn’t the father of his youngest child.

Summer Solstice

This year summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere on June 20. For a short history of observations and folklore about this date, click here for the article on History.com. I always like stories that take a well-known folklore and use it as a basis for a fantasy story. Such as certain people who are born on the summer solstice possess special powers, perhaps commanding the four elements, and these powers increase with the amount of daylight. The power itself is neutral, so during the summer solstice, the good and evil characters can have a day-long battle at the peak of their powers.

Juneteenth

Here’s a short description of why Juneteenth is celebrated. In Ohio, where I live, the holiday is celebrated with community festivals, so this could be setting for a story dealing with healing divisions within a community. Since the holiday celebrates freedom, a story about a character achieving some kind of personal freedom while observing the holiday would be a great parallel.

Summer activities

Fishing

My youngest is the Fishing Fanatic, and as a mom who went on his fishing adventures when he was younger because he needed help, I can tell you from personal experience that a fishing trip is loaded with opportunities for humor. From wiping out on a muddy bank and gouging a hand on the barb of a catfish to diving into murky water to snatch a rod that a fish has pulled after it, you can milk a lot of fishing situations for laughs.

Fishing can be used in a story of suspense. It gives characters an excuse to break out of their normal routines as they head out on a fishing trip. Then you can dump them into unfamiliar settings, peopled with hostile characters. Such as a criminal, who is on the FBI’s most wanted list, purses two fishing buddies, who stumbled across his hideout in the mountains. With the criminal after them, the buddies have only the contents of their tackle boxes to use as some kind of defense.

The bond that can occur during fishing is a wonderful way to explore family relationships or friendships of characters.  A grandfather, who loves fishing, can’t interest any of his grandchildren until the most unlikely one falls in love with it. Two very disparate characters chance upon each other at a secluded fishing spot and begin a friendship.

Gardening

Gardening can be the setting for the renewal of relationships or some quality within the main character. The hard work can be a metaphor for other types of labor in a character’s life. Or you can look on the lighter side. Maybe a husband, recently retired, wants to learn about gardening from his wife, who finds he’s more of a hindrance than a help.

To find inspiration for other months of the year, click here.

How would you use June in a story?

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