“Middles The major part of the novel is the confrontation, a series of battles between the Lead and the opposition. They fought. This is also where subplots blossom, adding complexity to the novel and usually reflecting the deeper meaning of the book. The various plot strands weave in and out of one another, creating a feeling of inevitability while at the same time surprising the reader in various ways.” (James Scott Bell, Write Great Fiction – Plot & Structure)
Character Development Exercise: “Battles and Blossoms”
Key Techniques to Practice
Dramatizing Confrontation: Crafting scenes where characters engage in meaningful battles—physical, emotional, ideological—that escalate tension and deepen character. Subplot Integration: Weaving a subplot that mirrors, complicates, or contrasts the main conflict, illuminating hidden aspects of the characters. Controlled Inevitability and Surprise: Guiding readers through a sequence of conflicts that feel both surprising and inevitable, revealing character transformation through escalating stakes.
Writing Prompt (500 words)
Write a scene set during the middle of your story in which your protagonist is forced into a confrontation with an opponent (external or internal). At the same time, a subplot thread must intrude—physically or emotionally—that shifts the protagonist’s tactics or understanding of what the fight is really about. The subplot should reveal an emotional undercurrent, blind spot, or secret the protagonist is hiding from others—or themselves.
The confrontation must not be resolved in this scene. It should escalate, end in partial defeat or unresolved tension, and reveal complexity in the protagonist’s desire or flaw. The subplot should not steal focus but should complicate the scene, showing how multiple forces act on the protagonist at once.
Set a timer: 30 minutes to brainstorm both the main conflict and a subplot element that intersects here. 90 minutes to write the scene. No backstory infodumps—everything must be dramatized through dialogue, gesture, environment, or internal conflict.
Evaluation Criteria
Strong responses will:
Feature an active confrontation that shifts the relationship between protagonist and opposition Allow the subplot to intrude at a point of high tension, deepening—not distracting from—the central conflict Reveal character through action and subtext rather than exposition Convey an organic sense of rising tension and emotional complexity End with a new emotional or narrative destabilization that sets up future events
Weak responses will:
Present flat, circular arguments or unresolved scenes with no internal stakes Introduce subplots as exposition rather than integrated narrative moments Resolve the conflict too cleanly or avoid escalation Fail to show any shift in character or power dynamics Use dialogue as explanation rather than action
Follow-Up Questions for Workshopping
What does the protagonist believe the fight is about vs. what it’s actually about? How does the subplot moment challenge or reinforce the protagonist’s core flaw? Does the scene end in a more complicated emotional place than it started? What specific beats create surprise without breaking logic or tone? Are the consequences of the confrontation clear and actionable?
Recommended Reading
“The Half-Skinned Steer” by Annie Proulx
Note the convergence of internal dread and external threat, the past subplot haunting the present action, and the slow burn of inevitability driving the protagonist toward a reckoning he can’t prevent but never fully understands.
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