En media res was my university fiction writing professor's favorite thing in the world. She believed that every story could go back for the little details later and should start with action. As I've written beyond her class, I've come to realize that her advice goes beyond the start of a chapter.

Ok, so you either know this term "en media res" as a writer or you're mad I'm using a confusing Latin term in a post about revising and editing. You didn't come for the Latin lesson, but I promise en media res will change the way you write.

En media res means "In the middle of things."

How does en media res change how we write? Simple. The easiest way to draw in a reader is ACTION! Dropping them in the middle of the story kicks the reader into high gear and gets them to start asking questions. They suddenly want to know more. Take this example that probably sounds familiar if you've been around Wattpad a while.

"Estefania woke to the sound of a knock at her door. Early mornings were a struggle every day. She groaned and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Then she climbed out of bed and her feet hit the cold floor. She walked over to the mirror. Her dark hair and groggy brown eyes stared back, as she reached for her hairbrush...."

There are two cliches here but I'm going to talk about the first (the mirror cliche can wait for another day). If this is the beginning of a chapter all we've learned about our character and her world is she hates mornings. Nothing is happening to Estefania. She's a static character starting a boring day, and the reader has read this beginning a thousand times.

Unless it is super relevant to the plot, don't start a chapter with a character in bed. Instead, try en media res. Drop your character in the middle of things. Try a beginning like this one in my story, The Cursed Wish:

"The princess leaned in the dirt, setting stones as the chants of the Brothers reminded her of all the things she knew to be right and wrong in the world. The fairy circle formed before her, rising from the placed pebbles and rocks. They were nothing but a plea. A great shout into nothing with little answer.

Estefania was twenty-one years old today, and no one seemed to remember. Not that there would be a party at the monastery. The Brothers didn't believe in frivolity or fairies either. They thought magic corrupted, and the tradition of setting a wish ring was practically sacrilege." — From The Cursed Wish by Eliana Hale.

This beginning begs questions from the readers. Why is the princess in the dirt? What will the fairy ring do? Why are people against magic? It also tells the reader that Estefania is a forgotten princess and sets her as an opposing force to the oppressive Brothers. The world is ready to be explored, and the premise is intriguing, unlike a character rolling out of bed on an ordinary day.

Beginning en media res is great for almost any chapter, not just the start of your story. It works well if your character is exploring a new place or is out of their comfort zone. It also isn't just a trick for action, fantasy, or some other exciting genre. Here is an example from the beginning of a middle chapter of my contemporary teen novel Before Opening Night:

"My new therapist's office was bright, and someone had lined up Lego mini-figures on a shelf. Seeing Batman, Dobby the house-elf, a mermaid, Indiana Jones, and Medusa staring at me in Lego form was not helping my nerves.

A few colorful fish swam around a tank on the table in front of me. The couch I sat on was somewhat comfortable despite every bone in my body telling me to run from this place.

Anton insisted I come to counseling. He'd driven me here and was waiting in the lobby. My skin was itching, and I'd only been sitting in the therapist's office for two minutes." – From Before Opening Night by Eliana Hale.

In this, the main character, Jack, is set up against his new surroundings. He takes in the seemingly ordinary therapist's office, contrasting his nerves. We don't see Jack enter the office or his conversation with Anton. The backstory is alluded to, but having more detail for the scene is unnecessary. Jack is just dropped into what he feels is an extremely uncomfortable situation.

En media res places a character into a situation to make the reader ask for more. That is our goal as a writer. We want to keep the pages turning. I think my professor was really on to something with en media res and it has changed how I approach a scene.

What is something a writing teacher has taught you? Be sure to share in the comments. I'll leave you with one last beginning I wrote for my professor, who loved en media res. I hope it will encourage you to begin in the middle.

"The harsh steel of the pistol felt cold and foreign as she pointed the barrel at her human uncle. His eyes were pleading for the bullet, begging her to pull the trigger since this was the quickest and least painful way to die here. She could feel Arlon's bitter breath on the back of her neck as her arm quaked."— From Regretless and Other Short Stories by  Eliana Hale.