Writing Q&A #97: Middles with Elizabeth Prybylski eatsleepwrite.net/qa97 Question: I am struggling with the middle of my book. I have the beginning and end down, but the middle part just seems to be dragging. How do I make it more interesting? This, like several other recent questions, is about pacing. Middles are a necessary evil, and slogging through them can be a chore. However, the key is always going to be to keep pushing the plot forward. Dont know what to do next? Think of what will push the plot. That doesnt mean you should rush, but you need to make sure everything youre doing will be important somehow. I know that sounds like a lot of work and stress to try and make it all come together. Im not going to lie to you: it isnt always easy. But focusing on the end goal helps. Falling into the middle of the book doldrums is the death of more manuscripts than we all care to admit. The beginning is fun because its fresh and exciting. The end is fun because its the climactic parts all rolled up into one. Then... you have the middle. What people dont realize is that the graph for a storys action doesnt need to be as flat as a dead mans heart meter while in the middle. As you progress toward the climax there are going to be a number of little jumps and dips in tension that should slowly but surely be building to a head as the readers approach the end of your book. These can be near-misses, fights, arguments, encounters with the antagonists, new murders... whatever you want to toss in there. You dont need to be keeping the ship at an even keel until you hit the sharp climb towards the final pages. In fact, you dont want to; youll put your reader to sleep. The middle of your story doesnt mean you need to have the character in stasis, either. The major changes and reveals may come at the end of the book, but your story needs to have something to continue it. Developing characters is a great way to do this. READ THE REST ON eatsleepwrite.net/qa97
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:39:27 +0000
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