CURES FOR A SAGGY MIDDLE

By saggy middle, I don't mean belly fat. I'm referring to the middle of a story or novel. How many times have you read a book and loved the first few chapters, only to grow bored with the plot? The first chapter informs us that the protagonist has a specific goal or problem and yet, halfway through the book, the writer uses inessential details and drags the plot to an early grave. The middle is where the reader needs to be incited to finish the novel.

I find the middle of a story is the most difficult part to write. The beginning introduces the characters and their problems and the ending ties everything together, but middles can get saggy or worse, boring. By the middle of a novel, the characters should be all introduced, the setting fixed and the goal established.

The middle of a novel is where a major setback hinders the protagonist's efforts. Just as with real people, characters should grow and learn. Too many characters can weigh a novel down. Conversations where characters know the answers are a lazy method of explaining information.

Every scene needs tension or conflict. It must raise a question or advance the protagonist towards a goal. If a scene doesn't advance the plot or deepen characterization, it's just filler.

Open each scene with a hook and end it with a dilemma. Cliffhanger endings are a page-turner. Stretch tension by slowing a scene down. Use setting to increase tension. Suppose your main character is fishing in a small boat that runs out of fuel. Add a thunderstorm and you've escalated the tension.

Don't forget to use emotional and physical tension such as anger, fear, jealousy, illness or injury.

Raise the stakes by putting the protagonist in the middle of a conflict where he/she must make a difficult decision that goes against their nature.

Here are a few tricks to writing a more creative scene:

Leave out a crucial detail or introduce a red herring to keep the reader guessing. Every mystery writer uses these techniques.

Tell things out of order. This could include a flashback or simply moving time back and forth to show what each character is doing.

Let the reader know what is going to happen before the main character finds out. For example, someone expecting a huge inheritance buys an expensive item, but the next scene shows the lawyer reviewing a will that disinherits the protagonist.

End the scene in the middle of a dilemma, disaster or introduce an unexpected development.

Now for the fun part--pull out an old manuscript and review a couple of scenes, using some of the tips listed above.

Let's make a pact to keep saggy middles out of our writing.