Every feel like this poor fellow spinning his wheels in the mud? Recently I had one
of those dreaded writing moments. I was
stuck. Frozen. Bogged down. I stared at my screen, waiting,
hoping the next plot beat would spontaneously burst forth sending my fingers clicking
over the keys. Instead, I stalled like a computer taking too long to download. Working
… working … working … nothing.
Can you guess which
particular section of the plot left me in this suspended state? The beginning,
perhaps? That difficult chapter where a bazillion elements must flow together
with reader-grabbing tension? Nope. Perhaps the middle? That sluggish zone
where keeping things hopping becomes a Herculean chore? Again, nope.
A much more
incendiary little corner held me hostage. It was that spot between the beginning
and the middle. Right after the inciting incident, but before
the second big conflict. I knew what the middle would look
like. The beginning was in the bag. But how to connect them?
After more staring
at my screen (very productive, let me tell you), I finally pushed my way
through. Here's how.
Liminal Space
While hopping
around the Internet trying to get unstuck, I found a lovely article[1]
about “liminal space.” Perhaps you’ve heard of the concept. I hadn’t. I learned
that liminal space is the time of preparing before something happens. It can involve
a physical place, such as a courtyard or breezeway, or a non-physical space
like the moments of readying my heart before a worship service. The blog author
associated liminal space with those times when a writer waits for an editor to
accept or reject a manuscript. (Been there!) It’s a pause, a holding back before
the next step.
And it hit me.
That’s where my characters were suspended. Both were stalled at the threshold,
as if resting on the edge of a cliff, waiting to jump. What a relief to define
the spot. Yay for liminal space!
When I thought
about it, I realized a lot really does happen in the inbetween spaces. Maybe
not big splashy action, but decisions, attitudes, and relationships often shift
in the right or (even better for our plots) wrong directions
Plot Point One
But,
now that I defined it, the question remained—how do I keep the threshold
compelling, inviting, and riveting? I discovered a trick. In the opening of my
story, I answered the question, “what?” What’s the big problem my darling
protagonists must overcome? Well, at this point, it was time to answer another
question—“how?”
Recently
my husband brought home the first season of Stargate
SG-1. The writers do a great job blasting the beginnings. Man, you can
hardly blink before Jack, Major Carter, Dr. Daniel, and Teal’c are plunged into
life-threatening action. The viewer immediately gets what the problem is and
what’s at stake.
But what happens
next? In most of the episodes I watched, the characters hunkered down in the
planning room, gathered around the table, and figured out a plan of how to
overcome the problem. Never a long scene, it always included conflict between
the characters. By the end, they knew how they were going to proceed.
And that’s where we
find the trick.
In the scene
between the beginning and the middle, the hero figures out how she will reach her
goals. It doesn’t matter whether the plan shines of brilliance or gapes with
holes, my hero must embrace it. And when she does, bam! the plot gets unstuck. Yahoo!
Elements
For this scene
between scenes, everything that happens should answer the question, “how?” It
may involve meeting a new character who will help get the hero through the obstacle-laden
journey. A guide through an uncertain land, a lawyer, or a doctor might be
introduced.
Perhaps a touch of introspection will reveal
the “how.” In my first book, Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana,
the heroine, Julia, must overcome her grief over letting go of the orphans she desperately
loves. In the stillness of night, she quietly releases them to God. Although
painful, she needs to make this shift in order to continue her journey. The
“how” for her (and for all of us) is finding her strength in God.
Another way for a
character to uncover the “how” is through a conversation with a friend or
enemy. In Stargate SG-1, a really nasty officer acts as a naysayer to everything
the team wants to do. Their leader knows that taking the
opposite strategy from him will start them on the best path.
In what way does
your character decipher how to achieve her goals?
Three Keys to Remember
1.
Don’t take too long. Let your character breathe (or
talk, or pray), figure out the “how,” then move on. Drawing it out will slow
momentum—and you don’t want that!
2.
Conflict, conflict, conflict. Don’t let the plan of
attack come easily. She should have to wrestle for every inch of ground she
takes.
3.
It’s a good idea to answer the “how” for your subplots
as well.
Have fun with
this. I know once I figured out what to do, writing my scene between scenes
became a joy instead of a burden.
