I’m in such a state of turmoil. If only my angst could drip onto the pages of my current WIP (work in progress). I’m writing this rough draft partially blind, which terrifies this plotter. I plotted the beginning. I also plotted the end. The black moment, the epiphany, the climax, and denouement. But the middle? Getting from here to there? I didn’t do much with that except write out some scattered scene ideas. So as I plod through the middle, with only snatches of the path visible in my mind, I find myself prone to panic.
You see, this is so much different from the way I went about writing my last novel. I plotted every single scene before I wrote that novel. Complete with a scene goal, motivation, and conflict. Writing that novel took very little thought. I just had to discipline myself to sit and type the words. And it came together so beautifully. The conflict saturated every scene and oozed onto every page. It was inherent to the plot. The hero and heroine had diametrically opposed story goals. The conflict in this story isn’t so obvious. I have to dig a little deeper to bring it out.
And in the midst of my searching and writing through the uncertainty, I find myself struggling, for the first time, with what many writers call the “sagging middle”. I used to read about this before and think (with a smidge of pride), “I don’t really struggle with that. My middles are pretty solid.” Not so confident with this one.
My friend T. Anne tweeted a great idea. She said to write a list of the ten worst things that could happen to my character right now. I took her advice and the story took an unexpected twist. So while not having everything completely plotted out scares me, it’s also sort of exhilarating.
Here’s what I want to know….
Do you struggle with sagging middles? How do you go about giving your manuscript a tummy tuck? And what kind of writer are you? Not just a plotter or a pantser. Give me levels. Like how much of a plotter are you? Or how much of a pantser? How do you go about creating and crafting a story?
My first one, I was a pantser.
However, Four drafts down the road, I hate the idea of flying again…I wanna coast.
I want to plot, but not to much that I'm stuck in this way or that.
I like to have a general idea about my plot.
I love adding layers.
Layers sort of bring the sagging middle a little bit more into shape.
I went to the Seekerville blog and they seriously helped with this one.
They had a "kick around your ideas and we'll help deepen your plot" post.
That's what helped me find the hard sagging places BEFORE they happened.
It was nice to really thicken the plot before I screwed it up.
Good luck!
I just stumbled across your blog while I was trying to find tips on writing outlines and synopsis! Great blog!
I'm generally dance among the center of both pantser and plotter. I start off as a pantser, just writing as the ideas flow to me and when things start to slow down and the flow starts leveling off, I start plotting.
Writing this was seems to help me with the saggy middle, but I still end up having to trim scene's or go back and add tidbits here and there.
I have a saggy middle, both in body and book 🙂
I'm a pantser, which I think can add to the saggy middle. I'm bad to plot in my head at night.
Hi Katie –
I'm a pantser. Usually, I'll have the beginning, the end, and my main characters. From there, it's one wild ride.
When I finish writing for the day, I try to have a general starting point in my mind for the next session.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
Hi Katie, New follower here! I made my way over from Jessica Nelson's blog because your comments were on the same wave length as mine :o)
In answer to you question, no I don't struggle with sagging middles. I used to be a pnaster and have learned the hard way. Not I sketch out my plots points and exactly where they're going to happen so that nothing sags and they are stretched out evenly. It avoids problems in the long run.
I didn't plot heavily with my earliest books, and all had a saggy middle. Now, I won't start writing until I have every scene mapped out–no saggy middles. It saves me so much time.
Oh Katie! I am RIGHT HERE with you!!! It's almost a comfort to read about other authors who are stuck in the middle. I really like T.Anne's idea.
My latest issue is what should my character do all day? In my last book there were a LOT of scenes at school – in classes, in the cafeteria, etc…
But this book needs to happen outside of school, but doing what??
aarrgghhh
Hi Katie. Well I never plot so I am always writing with a vague sense of blind panic! It certianly makes for a fun first draft though. I don't want to know what will happen. I want to see it happen as I write it. That can be scary, but if you let go and just throw everything you at those characters and see what they can do, you cannot help but have a very interesting story.
I like T.Anne's suggestion.
Playing the what if game is very fun. I like to imagine what my characters most want and then come up with an inventive way for them to look like they are a long way from EVER getting that. You know, kill their hope and all that 🙂
You will get there.
Thanks for your tweets today too 🙂
I like that, writing 10 worst cases. I'll try to remember that and use it. I write on the fly, but spend time just thinking it over until I can have concentrated time to write. So, a bit of mind plotting, but write as I go is the norm. I used notecards this time. I got a little stuck in the middle of act 2, but talked it out with a guy today who is the inspiration for the character. HUGE help!
I agree with Jessica. Throw your fear aside and see what happens! I would say that I am about 95% pantser. I just hate planning any more than I have to. 🙂
I love that I am on here today! Is that the epitome of narcissism or what? I'm glad you found my advice helpful. A lot of the time I find that making a list of problems leads to greater story line solutions, ones I wasn't even aware that I needed. Although I know what happens in my story from point A to point B I don't micro-plot and therefore I have to depend on my characters to navigate me there. Sometimes when I let them off the leash I find myself on the 'funnest' ride.Glad I could help!
I endure the sagging middle while plotting. I tried pantsing and totally failed. Just a bunch of words on the page with no direction – even if I thought it was funny. When i am struggling with a plot point I list different things that could happen – but an idea usually comes when I'm not trying to force it. Good luck!
Interesting to hear how you're going about this novel differently than last time. I only have experience with one middle so far, and it's an easy one because it's my favorite section of the book! I can't imagine having so many choices of what to make my characters do… Suppose that's why I write non-fiction. Anyhow, good luck, and keep us posted!
I am a BIG planner. I outline by chapter–actually breaking each one down to how many scenes there will be, whose POV it will be in, and what will happen in each scene. This usually involves at least one event and any conversations the characters might have.
Before I do that, however, I write down all my plot points and set them on a timeline to where they will be in the book. 1/4 of the way through, 2/3, or whatever. That way I can see when each event happens and if they're spaced out right to keep the reader interested. I usually try to make a bunch of small ones and then a fairly big one (almost as big as the climax) close to or just after the middle of the book to keep the pace going.
T Anne's suggestion is great, as are all the suggestions in the comments (some really creative solutions in there!).
I lean more toward plotting. I consider myself a hardcore plotter, but really I just generate a sequence of major events and navigate from one to the next more "pantsy" as I'm drafting.
My favorite fix for sagging middles came from Larry Brooks at Storyfix.com . His story structure puts specific types of major events at the 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 marks. Navigating between them is a lot easier.
I've morphed over time from a total pantser to a nearly pathological plotter. My current story outline is 10 pages long!
Sagging middle?
I once had someone who was reading one of my stories chapter-by-chapter as I got them finished say about midway through the story, "It's time something nice happened to these characters."
So I gave them something nice, a little down time, a little breathing room, then WHAM! ended it with a bang of disaster. 🙂
I think this works pretty well with romance, as it gives the reader and the characters hope that they can find a way through their problems to a happily ever after, then POW! A big setback that makes them re-evaluate the situation and choose what to do.
Sagging middles can sometimes shored up by making the character choose between two hard things.
I'm 50-50 but spent loads of time on this 4th novel PLOTTING. MUCH more (like ten times) than #3, which was the first plot attempt.
I just wrote three new chapters (well, 2 and a half) and an idea was birthed that would solve a couple of early editor comments re likeability (an old enemy rearing her head). So listen to the Spirit, Whom I believe will whisper things in wonderful spontaneous fashion) but Who also loves an ordered world. (look at the creation)
Sigh.
Now you are probably really confused. But The Counselor will help you out!!
Blessings, dear one!!!
Patti
Oh, a quick suggestion. If the middle sags, give her a liposuction, or as T. Anne so cooly suggested some BAD STUFF.
quick conflict…more…more…a little relief…smile…more conflict…more…the worst…less..
You get the drill.
On my last book, I outlined the book. Then, I wrote the first half of the book and a lot of things changed from my outline. I got stuck in the middle and started writing backward (one scene at a time) from the end. It sounds crazy, but it worked.
I often brainstorm before outlining the scene.
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Katie, You have plenty of writers views on here. I have really nothing to add to that, but I will say, this could be your best work yet. Be patient. It will come. Be prayerful and know that this is a trial and anything worth the struggle will be beautiful in the end. You WILL be proud. Give it time. Let go of expectation. Plotting is great, but when I started to just let go, that's when life turned from dim to gorgeous. Take care, Sweet Pea. Carrie Fanderclai
I'm very much a plotter with a little pantser thrown in. I write one sentence for each scene, and let my muse have control of what happens. Sometimes I've been surprised by the twists created in one scene that ripples throughout the rest of my novel.
I like T.Anne's suggestion for helping with a saggy middle.
Oh yeah, me and the saggy middle are tight. *grin*
Don't be afraid to change things up! Yeah, you're on a projected path, but one thing that can stretch that middle tight is to pop in something unexpected, something that heightens the tension or adds a new problem.
Can something bad happen to someone, or to a pet? Can an unexpected visitor arrive? What about new info revealed? You know the beginning and you know the end, but sometimes the end changes. Don't be afraid to just write some juicy stuff and see what happens. 🙂
So glad I'm not the only one with this problem. In my last book, I added extra conflict and asked that question too–what is the next thing that could happen to her? It really helped move it along and cut the bore. I try to outline my scenes now a few days ahead of time before I write so I have a direction but I think I am mostly a pantser.
Each novel has been different, but I like a skeletal pictures of what's to happen and I also enjoy leaving it so the wind can blow between the bones. The wind being the free-flow of ideas.
T.Anne's idea is good. Introducing new characters, journaling from the MC's perspective, throwing a heavier conflict on your MC…all these things have helped me pull in the middle.
~ Wendy
Hi Katie,
Very fun to see how you're working through this latest manuscript! It sounds like we're very similar with how we plot. I plan out my scenes with goals, etc. right before I start writing it. In other words, I don't have them all planned out before I begin my book. I have major set pieces, things I'd like to include, a sketchy outline of the book. But I really leave room for those twists and turns. So by waiting to detail each scene I'm giving myself some flexibility. I often brainstorm before outlining the scene. I ask myself lots of questions, try to change the setting, etc.
Hope you had a great weekend!
On a scale of 1 – 10, I'd say 9 1/2 toward being a total panster.
I do not plot when I start. I do, however, try to get an idea of the "main" goal of my characters, and when I've written a few chapters, I write out more about my characters. When I am about half way through, I stop and read through and make sure I'm on the path I want to be, and outline what I've done so far, and get a firm solid "ending' in mind.
But other than that, I just write scene by scene, all the while envisioning that "hook" at the end. Writing to the hook always seems to help me…
Hi, Katie! I love T. Anne's suggestion. On a scale of 1-10, I leaned at about an 8 or 9 toward being a pantser on my current manuscript. Although writing the first draft was lots of fun and exhilarating, because I had no idea what my characters would do next, plotting during rewrites was PAINFUL at times. The end result is something I'm in love with, but it was hard work. I'm thinking I'll be evening the scale a little on the next book.