This video is the first in a series that will tackle an issue that many authors struggle with: saggy middles.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
This video discusses two glaring signs to look for: an overly smooth road for your characters or the eerie quiet of an idle storyline.
Hello, Jane Cleland here.
How do I know if I have a saggy middle? And, of course, we’re talking about the middle of your story, not the middle of your body.
Yeah, saggy middles. Things start dragging. It’s very common. Here are two clues that you have a saggy middle:
Things are going too well.
Nothing’s happening—the story’s not moving forward.
If things are going too well, here’s what probably happened: You introduced a conflict early on and then addressed it. You added some tangles, but now they’re either untangled or it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to be.
On the other hand, if the story’s not moving forward, that may mean you’ve gone off on tangents. You’re rambling. You’re writing exposition—maybe to figure out a character or really develop the nuance of that character. Whatever it is, nothing’s happening.
So what do you do about it? The obvious answer is: Have something happen.
What should happen? Escalate conflict—that’s the first thing. We always want to escalate conflict. That means introducing additional obstacles, doing something that raises the stakes for the protagonist, adding some plot twists, and really focusing on injecting a burst of energy into that middle section.
Now, if you want to know more about this, the webinar called “Plotting Perfection: Overcoming Saggy Middles with Ever Escalating Conflict” is available for rent on my website. I’d love to hear how you handle saggy middles!
I have eight ideas, and I’m going to go over them in the next several videos because I think it could be very helpful to consider your alternatives. But I would love to know how you recognize them.
If this video had value for you—if it got you thinking about those saggy middles—please like it, share it, and pass along the information. Subscribe to the channel; that opens up features for us that let us make these videos even more valuable for you.
Thank you
*Transcripts are software-generated. To report any transcription errors, please use my contact form!
