What happens in the middle of the story? Well, if you’ve been following our suggested story patterns, you’ve heard of the obstacles the protagonist must overcome or the conflicts they encounter with the antagonist, or some escalating inner turmoil they must face— all in three advancing steps that get more difficult and more challenging as they go.

Is this pattern in the story absolute? Probably not, but all learning involves exercises, discipline, and skill building that can be put to better use later. So, let’s exercise. And just to spice things up, let’s use a new word to broaden your understanding.

We’ll talk about the Three Discords in the Middle of the Story.

What’s a discord? A lack of harmony. Where harmony produces a pleasing effect, the middle of the story can be thought of as three progressive discordant events, each more disagreeable and jarring than the last.

As I always say, plotting is not really difficult. Just imagine a scene and let your imagination go. What holds you back is trying to find the story you want to “force” into existence to make your point or show off your imagination. Better sometimes to follow a few simple rules and roll the dice.

Open the eye of the imagination and what do you see? I see a World War I battlefield, with trench warfare in progress. It’s night and the sky is lit with explosions. We’re on the side of the Allies and we see a big young man, bulky build, huddled in a dark corner eating a can of cold bully beef. It’s a treat and he’s saving some for his brother, who is out on reconnaissance. This is “orientation” (not in medias res). We just need a scene. It’s a war, so we’re seeing a normal slice of war life.

We establish character. Our protagonist is D.B., short for “dough boy.” It’s his nickname because he’s a bit of a hoss. Someone asks to share his beef. All they have is pea soup with horse meat. He refuses, saving the corned beef for his little brother. We now know his character.

The artillery ceases for a bit and an uneasy quiet settles over the trench. They hear the rats moving. They hear one of their own calling out for help from no-man’s land. Someone is wounded and needs their help.  This is the “Threshold Incident.” The original scene is being broken by an event which will move the reader into the unfolding story. Before this, we don’t have “story.” We only have a “scene.”

It doesn’t take long for D.B. to realize that is his brother calling out for help. This is the “Narrative Hook.” The protagonist now has a personal reason to turn toward the Threshold Incident and engage with it. That’s his brother!

And the beginning of the story is sorted. Now let’s move on to the middle.

Whether we call it a conflict, an obstacle, or a discord— the next story element is a problem. At least it should be a problem for your protagonist.

Based on what has come before, this shouldn’t be hard for you. You already know in your heart D.B, wants to go out there and bring his brother in. But it can’t be that simple. Something has to block his natural desire to rescue his brother.

In this case it will be his sergeant. In no uncertain terms, D.B. is told this is a common trap to get soldiers out in no-man’s land where they will be clobbered by artillery. His brother knew the risks. He knows he is not supposed to call out for help that could get men on his own side killed. The sarge will send out a rescue team after dark, if the shelling lets up for an extended period.

To make the story move, the next step is easy. D.B. does not wait.  He ignores the sergeant and goes over the top to reach and rescue his brother. He brings him back alive, despite some artillery and machine gun fire.

An important characteristic of “Discord One” is that it must involve direct action and risk by the protagonist. They can’t write a memo or complain to their congressperson. D.B. faces bullets to bring back his brother. But the second key characteristic of Discord One is that it can’t be too hard. D.B. rather easily finds and rescues his brother. They made it back alive without any additional injuries.

And Discord One concludes.

As you might guess, solving Discord One just makes the situation worse. That’s a key development that must happen. The action taken by the protagonist in Discord One must only “look like” it solves the problem. And the protagonist must think that and be fairly satisfied that the problem is solved.

After all, D.B, got his brother back, didn’t he? 

But no! Trouble ensues precisely because D.B. took action to solve Discord One. In this case, that pesky sergeant is livid, and for good reason. It turns out that D.B.’s brother, nicknamed “Kewpie,” is a hapless, foul-up, a narcissist. Of course, D.B. loves him; D.B. promised their mother to bring the kid home safe, but no one in the platoon is too fond of Kewpie. This time, he had a minor scratch on his arm and was crying like a stuck pig, risking everyone. He didn’t even complete his mission.

The sergeant sends Kewpie and D.B. out again to scout the enemy position without delay. The artillery has started up again, making this very dangerous. It’s obviously a punishment— a much worse situation flowing out of D.B.’s initial effort to rescue his brother. Now they are both in danger.

Kewpie doesn’t even get any of the canned beef. The sergeant confiscates it and takes it to the lieutenant.

D.B. and Kewpie feel the heat of bad choices. Maybe there is even friction building between the narcissistic younger brother and his older protector.

Just like in Discord One, the protagonist (D.B.) must TAKE ACTION to solve Discord Two. There’s no need to make it horribly complex. Let’s say they run into a German squad in the trenches, there is desperate fire fight, even a bayonet battle. D.B. and Kewpie win, and Kewpie finds a map among the German possessions. D.B. realizes that this is treasure worth taking back to the sergeant. They will be heroes. Kewpie’s transgression will be forgotten. Things will go back to normal.

And Discord Two concludes.

I bet you can guess what comes next. Yes? The solution to Discord Two must evolve into an even worse “Discord Three.” What looks like a good thing that will solve the stress of the situation actually makes it worse. What was terrible now becomes life threatening. An existential threat!

What comes to mind? As they start back, D.B. has doubts about the map and plans they’ve found. They show the trenches around them as heavily armed and filled with troops, but they are nearly empty. They show an important command post where only a ruined bunker remains. What is going on? D.B. suspects a plan to draw out the Allies and trap them in the empty trenches, perhaps hitting them with artillery.

They have to learn more. So, instead of heading back to the safety of their side, they begin to explore and try to see what the Germans are up to. As you might guess, Kewpie thinks this is a terrible idea and they argue as they go. But Kewpie stays with D.B., because they are now so far out he likely couldn’t find his way back on his own anyway.

Kewpie finds some wine and wants to take it back, but they are close now, and as D.B. scouts, Kewpie makes enough noise to be captured by another German patrol.

D.B. follows them but is not in a good position to rescue his brother. He doesn’t know German, but soon Kewpie is being interrogated by an English-speaking enemy soldier.

Now, Kewpie is a narcissist and a bit of a coward, so he tries to make it all about himself and how valuable he can be to the Germans. If he’s treated well, he’ll let them know everything about the allied side. Even so, he’s a good enough brother not to say that D.B. is nearby. But the Germans aren’t quite having it, as they’ve found the dead patrol of their own men and begin to put Kewpie through some rough interrogation.

D.B. is quickly faced with a life and death choice. He can probably get into a good sniper position and kill his brother, then get away. He will then warn the allies of the German plan to trick them into a maneuver where they will be under fire and outflanked.

But if his brother gives up their troop strength and positions, the German plan won’t even matter. It will be a slaughter.

See how Discord Three puts our protagonist D.B. in a horrible position. It stresses the fundamental character point we know of —his loyalty and love for his brother— to the breaking point. How will it turn out? What will D.B. do?

And Discord Three concludes. (Well, actually, Discord Three now slides right into the Climax with a bang. There’s too much momentum to stop it now.)

How does the story end? I don’t know. It could go several different ways. What do you think?

What I do know is that the Climax is the next step. All the tension that has been mounting must be directed into one terrible moment of cascading, dissonant, clashing pain that is the darkest and most difficult moment of the story.

D.B. decides to shoot his brother, but before he can pull the trigger, he feels a rifle muzzle against his neck and he is captured. While D.B. is being tortured for information, Kewpie breaks free and tries to rescue him, but is mortally wounded in the attempt. Because of Kewpie’s sacrifice, D.B. gets away and the day is saved.

Or D.B. does kill his brother but sees the above scene in his imagination and reports it as if Kewpie was a hero in the end.

Or Kewpie sees his brother and betrays him, and D.B. dies knowing his loyalty to his brother was the wrong choice.

No matter what, make the reader feel something —an emotional peak— as they go through that climactic moment.

After the Climax, it’s all just falling action, a release of tension, and a roundup of loose threads.

Perhaps D.B. struggles back to allied lines with the map and the body of Kewpie in tow. The sergeant goes to warn the lieutenant of the enemy trap. D.B.’s buddies rally to help him with the body, treating it with a respect they never would have shown Kewpie in life. Someone is playing Taps.  End of story.

Maybe D.B. tells a story that even gets his brother a posthumous medal.

But it’s the Story Middle that got us here and made the ending a meaningful and emotional experience for the reader.