A Novelist’s Guide to Midpoints & Narrative Velocity

Novelists tell us that generating movement - the energy that drives characters from A-Z – is one of the hardest things to keep up through a manuscript. What is it that causes a novel to lose shape and direction, and how can a well-crafted midpoint help?

BAFTA-winning producer and bestselling author John Yorke says:

‘Writers often get lost in the middle. Without a clear sense of shape, stories will always sag. One of the reasons the book I wrote years ago – Into The Woods – is still selling is because it helps people understand that shape and the reasons stories revolve around the midpoint. So you work towards the middle of a story and then away from it. Once you know that, it’s much easier to know where you’re going and why.’

For the first time, John hosts a live online session dedicated to the midpoint for novelists, joined by Yan Ge, award-winning author of novels in Chinese and English, including Strange Beasts of China, a New York Times Notable Book of the year.

John will explore why archetypal stories revolve around a midpoint, and how awareness of that can sharpen character development, emotional impact, plot and pacing. Yan will discuss her writing practice and ways of controlling a story, thinking about urgency, tension and narrative velocity.

We hope you will take away tips on how to sustain reader-engagement and make stronger creative decisions, without imposing a formula on your story.

This event is designed for writers at the starting line of a novel, revising a finished manuscript, or anywhere in-between. There will be time for a Q&A at the end, so do please bring questions for John and Yan. 

If you're unable to make the call live, the call will be recorded and available to watch back.