Week 3: write the middle
Week 3 is where the book gets its substance: the main argument of chapter 2, a worked example, the objection a skeptic would raise and the chapter you have been avoiding. It is also the week most people are tempted to quit, so each day is one small, specific job.
What this week is for
The introduction and first chapter are about setting up. The middle of the book is where you deliver: the method, the evidence, the examples and the hard thinking a reader paid for. It is also where first drafts tend to stall, because the novelty is gone and the finish line is far away.
This week's prompts break the middle into pieces you can do in one sitting. Two days on chapter 2. One day answering the best argument against you. Two days on the chapter you have been putting off, starting by talking it out loud. Then two lighter days: your method as steps, and a story you have not used yet.
What you should have by day 21
- A rough chapter 2 with its main argument and one detailed, worked example.
- A section answering your strongest objection, placed in whichever chapter it belongs to.
- A start on your hardest chapter, including one story you were reluctant to tell.
- Your method or principles written out as steps or short paragraphs.
- An updated story bank showing which stories you have used and which are still waiting.
Common traps this week
The day 15 slump
Around the middle of any 30-day effort, the streak stops feeling new. If a session feels flat, do the smallest version of the prompt and log it. A short day keeps the habit. A skipped day makes the next one harder. If you do miss days, read the guide on what to do when you miss a day before you try to catch up.
Avoiding the hard chapter by polishing the easy ones
Every book has a chapter the author keeps steering around, usually because the idea is not fully worked out yet. Day 18 asks you to talk it out first. Explaining an idea out loud, as if to a client, is often easier than writing it, and The Scribe Method's chapter on writer's block recommends the same thing: if you are stuck, have someone interview you about the topic.
Writing a straw man
On day 17 it is tempting to write the weakest version of the objection so it is easy to knock down. Professional readers notice. Write the objection the way the smartest person who disagrees with you would say it, and concede the parts where they are right.
Letting the outline go stale
By now your chapters may have drifted from your day 6 table of contents. That is fine. Note changes in brackets as you go, and do not stop to redo the outline. Day 29 is for that.
- Day15
Chapter 2: the main argument
Write the core of chapter 2. State the point in one sentence, then explain it the way you would to a smart client who is new to your field. Use the thesis sentence from your table of contents as your guide, and if the point has changed as you write, note the new version in brackets.
Why: The middle of a book is where most drafts stall, and a clear main argument per chapter is what carries you through it.
Tip: If you lose the thread, read your one-sentence promise from day 3 and ask how this chapter serves it.
Target: about 500 words
- Day16
Chapter 2: a worked example
Write a worked example for chapter 2: one client, project or decision walked through step by step, from the situation to what you did to what happened. Include what went wrong along the way, not only the result. Change names and details where you need to protect confidentiality.
Why: A detailed example teaches more than a list of principles, and it is the part readers will retell to colleagues.
Tip: Write the example in the order things happened. You can rearrange it for drama later.
Target: about 500 words
- Day17
Answer the strongest objection
Write down the strongest objection a skeptical reader would raise to your approach, in their words, as fairly as you can. Then answer it: where they are right, where they are wrong and what you have seen that changed your mind. This section can go in whichever chapter it belongs to.
Why: Taking the best counterargument seriously is what makes a professional reader trust the rest of the book.
Tip: Think of a real person who disagreed with you, and write the objection the way they actually said it.
Target: about 500 words
- Day18
The hard chapter: talk it out
Pick the chapter you have been avoiding. Set a timer for 10 minutes and explain it out loud into your phone's voice recorder as if a client asked you about it. Then write today's words from that recording, either by transcribing the best parts or by writing from memory while it is fresh.
Why: The chapter you avoid usually holds an idea you have never put into words, and speaking it first gets past that.
Tip: If your phone or recording app offers a transcript, treat it as raw material, not finished text.
Target: about 500 words
- Day19
The hard chapter: the story you hold back
Keep going on the hard chapter. Write the story you are most reluctant to tell in it, such as a mistake, a failure or a moment you were wrong. Write it honestly for now. You will decide later what goes in the book, and nobody will see this draft unless you choose.
Why: The stories authors hesitate over are often the ones that make readers trust them, and you cannot judge one until it is written.
Tip: Write "Draft only, not for the book yet" at the top if it helps you be honest.
Target: about 500 words
- Day20
Write your method as steps
If your book teaches a process, write it out as numbered steps, with a short paragraph under each saying what the reader does and how they know they have done it right. If your book is not a process, write the three to five principles it rests on, one paragraph each.
Why: A clear set of steps or principles gives the reader something to hold on to and gives you the backbone of the middle chapters.
Tip: This is a lighter day. A list with paragraphs is easier to write than prose, which is why it suits a short session.
Target: about 300 words
- Day21
Use a story you have not used
Open your story bank and pick a story you marked on day 4 but have not written yet. Write it in full as a scene, then add two or three sentences on which chapter it belongs to and what point it proves. Update your story bank so you know it has been used.
Why: Keeping the story bank current means you always have material ready for the chapters still ahead.
Tip: If no story fits a chapter, that chapter may be too abstract. Ask a client or colleague for the story you are missing.
Target: about 300 words
End of week check
- Chapter 2 has a clear main point and one example told in detail.
- I have written the strongest objection fairly and answered it.
- I have started the chapter I was avoiding.
- My method or principles are written down, even roughly.
- My story bank shows which stories are used.
- I have logged at least most of the days in weeks 1 to 3.
Common questions
Why is the middle of a book so hard to write?
The excitement of starting has worn off and the end is not in sight. The middle is also where the hardest ideas usually live. This week's prompts give each day one specific job, so you are never facing "write the middle" as one big task.
Can I write chapters out of order?
Yes. A first draft does not have to be written front to back. The Scribe Method suggests most authors do their best work in order, but if you are stuck, skip to a section that feels easier and fill in the gaps later.
What if my chapter 2 does not match my outline anymore?
That usually means the writing taught you something. Note the new version of the chapter's point in brackets and keep going. You will update the outline properly on day 29, when you do the reverse outline.
Should I include a story that makes me look bad?
Write it first, decide later. Stories about mistakes often make readers trust the author more, but only you can decide what belongs in the book. A first draft is private. Write it honestly and choose at the editing stage.
Sources: The Scribe Method, chapter 15 (on writing out of order) and chapter 43 (How Do You Beat Writer's Block?), free to read at scribemedia.com. Published by Scribe Media.