Writing the beginning of a book is exciting and fun. The author puts the pot on the stove and throws in the main ingredients.
The Beginning
At the beginning the author has plenty of things to write about. New characters can be described physically, named, and their most important character strengths and flaws shown as needed. New families can be created and new friends or enemies described.
Then there is a new setting ready to be explored, which includes place and time of year. In my latest Lucky Dog cozy mystery this was my first major change in the series, as the story begins in a December snowstorm. The snow makes it difficult to drive and this becomes one of the reasons a “clue” doesn’t get very far.
The beginning of a story also sets up the plot question which brings in the conflict. In a mystery, the question is usually going to be “who killed —?” If it is a romance, the question will be “who gets the heroine?” Or “who ends up with the hero?” In most of my books, such as Turnagain Love, there is only one choice. In others, such as Dangerous Inheritance, there are two fellows interested in the heroine and she has to choose between them.
The beginning is great fun to write. The book fairly charges along by itself. The ending can be seen, but there are still many words to write. To have a book start, then end without any development of the plot, wouldn’t really be worth reading. The writer now comes to the middle. Many would-be writers stop here. Their files are full of books they started but never finished.
The Middle
What do you put in the middle? Here is where the pot simmers and boils. Rather than looking at it as a dreaded empty space, the writer should be happy. Now is the time for the plot development that fleshes out the characters of hero and heroine, that enriches the conflict they face, that builds the emotions they feel. It is the time when the reader discovers the how and why of the actions and feelings of the main characters. It can be greatly influenced by the choices they make or the environment they are in.
The middle determines the final choices that the hero and heroine make. If it is not logical, the reader will be disappointed. They must choose in a way that reflects who they are. The reader has been expecting this choice. If the book is a mystery, the villain must be hidden until the end, but the middle must provide the clues.
The End
The middle sets up the ending. The pot comes off the stove and the food is eaten. A good book will leave the reader feeling full and satisfied, enjoying the taste of the combined elements. The plot made sense. In a mystery, the now-revealed villain had a strong reason for what he/she did.
How many times were you able to discover the villain before the author revealed him? This is what makes writing the mystery so difficult. In my favorite book, Scorpion’s Trail, I was able to keep the Scorpion hidden until the ending, yet the clues were all there.
(On Friday the 14th, I will put Scorpion’s Trail in a Kindle Countdown, starting at 99 cents.)
A USA Today bestselling author, Nancy Radke grew up on a wheat and cattle ranch in SE Washinton State. She attended a one-room country school through the eighth grade. She learned to ride bareback at age 3 (Really! It was a common practice.) and when she got off or fell off, she would pull her horse’s nose to the ground, get on behind its ears, and the horse would lift its head so she could scoot down onto its back. Nancy spent most of her childhood exploring the Blue Mountain trails that bordered the ranchlands. She and a friend once took a trail that turned out to be a two day trip. They always rode with matches and pocket knives, so made camp and returned the next day. These long rides worried her parents, but provided plenty of time to make up stories. Her first novel was set in the Blues, and is entitled APPALOOSA BLUES. TURNAGAIN LOVE was the first one published. It rated a four star review from Affaire de Coeur. Scribes World said “Turnagain Love has some fascinating twists and turns, unexpected complications, and charming scenes.” It is light and humorous. Nancy currently has over 30 books written, both modern and western. All her stories are sweet and wholesome.
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