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Writing Wayfarer’s Midpoint—and Commiserating Over the Tough Days

If you’re writing a story right now and it’s hard, then I want you to know you’re not alone. Every once in a while one of my stories will be a breeze to write. Everything will fall into place like magic, and the whole thing will be nothing but fun from start to finish. Every time that happens, I start thinking, Woohoo! I’ve turned some invisible corner and from now on my writing will always be fun and easy.

But I gotta tell you it never works out that way. Writing is exhilarating, rewarding, and wonderful—but it’s also hard. Every single day it’s hard—for me, for you, for every self-respecting bestselling author out there. So when you sit down at your desk this week and golden words don’t start pouring off your fingertips, just remember: that’s how the process goes for all of us.

Pretty much everything with my work-in-progress Wayfarer has progress at a slow-and-steady pace—to put it mildly. I’ve been plodding along with its Midpoint of late, and it’s been a toughie to put together. Surprise, surprise on this project! I have so many working pieces to fit together as my protagonist and antagonist come together for their first big battle. But I think all the hard work paid off, and I’m extremely happy with how it’s turning out. I think it’s the best Midpoint Moment of Truth / Mirror Moment I’ve ever written. So you know I’m doing a Snoopy dance over that!

Happy writing!

Featured Resource: Outlining Your Novel

Writers often look upon outlines with fear and trembling. But when properly understood and correctly wielded, the outline is one of the most powerful weapons in a writer’s arsenal. Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success will:

Help you choose the right type of outline
Guide you in brainstorming plot ideas
Aid you in discovering your characters
Show you how to structure your scenes
Explain how to format your finished outline
Instruct you in how to use your outline

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“The novel is perhaps the highest art form because it so closely resembles life: it is about human relationships.”

―Joyce Carol Oates

Drawing Winners

Twice a month, I randomly draw four names from among e-letter subscribers.

The winners receive their choice of digital media from among my books.

This month's winners are Karin, Cheryl Bonner, Rosie, and Shannon.

I will contact the winners directly. Congrats to all―and good luck to everyone else in the coming drawings!

Things to Ponder

What is the most interesting visual aspect of your work-in-progress's current scene?

What is your protagonist's characteristic moment in your story's beginning?

You Know You Are a Writer When . . .

...you want readers to imagine your characters as vividly as you do,

...you cringe at the very mention of deus ex machina.

July Article Roundup

Want to Level Up Your Fiction? Take the “Dramatic Irony” Challenge!

Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 42: When Your Story Stakes Aren’t High Enough

Teach You About Compounding Conflict in Your Story

9 Ways to Use Point of View to Strengthen Your Story’s Characters

The Hardest Part of Writing Good Character Arcs—and How You Can Make It Look Easy!

Amping Your Story Stakes: Why Even Positive Events Should Have Consequences

5 Writing Lessons I Learned Ghostwriting for New York Times Bestsellers

Whom Should You Be Writing For? Yourself or Your Readers?

The Key to Writing Good Action Scenes (Hint: It’s Not Just the Action)

Need a Writing Buddy? Find One Right Here!

4 Ways to Write a Likable Protagonist at the Start of His Character Arc

2 Ways to Make the Most of Your Story’s Climactic Setting

Your Questions Answered: Inner Conflict

Q. I have begun working on my first novel, and have discovered that I have tremendous difficulty coming up with believable and non-clichéd internal conflicts for my characters. Many of the attempts I’ve made usually amount to nothing more than tragic backstories, which hardly ever interest me in my reading (which makes me wonder why they keep creeping into my fiction). Anyway, I wonder if you can offer any tips for coming up with believable internal conflict that is not sappy or clichéd. Thanks!—Michael Panka

A. The key to internal conflict comes down to three factors:

1. The Thing the Character Wants.

2. The Thing the Character Needs.

3. The Lie the Character Believes.

The Lie He Believes will be what is holding him back from gaining the Thing He Needs. For example, he might need love, but he believes he’s unworthy.

As a result of this cognitive dissonance, the character will be wrongly focusing on the Thing He Wants. For example, since he believes he can’t be loved, he decides he wants respect, so he focuses on becoming President. Sometimes the Thing He Wants will be at odds with the Thing He Needs, but often it will be something he simply can’t completely gain until he first rejects the Lie and claims the Thing He Needs.

This conflict between Want and Need—with the Lie at the center, keeping the character from gaining both—is what fuels all inner conflict in fiction.

Contact Me

Have a writing question you’d like answered? I respond to all emails and will publish one question a month in this e-letter.

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“The only impeccable writers are those who never wrote.” ― William Hazlitt