by Sandy Vaile

A “saggy middle” is a common problem that is responsible for millions of unfinished and unpublishable manuscripts around the world. Don’t let yours be one of them.

When we start writing a novel we’re excited by all the possibilities of where our fascinating characters might take our intriguing concept. We dive in head first, typing furiously, limitless ideas swirling around our minds.

And then we hit the midpoint …

What is a story’s “saggy middle”?

A story sags when it loses focus anywhere between the midpoint and the climax because:

• There is such a lot going on that we can’t see how to tie all of the plot threads together; or
• Ideas dry up and we’re not sure how to get the characters to the final crisis; or
• The story seems to wander aimlessly and readers lose interest; or
• The midpoint crisis doesn’t have dire consequences; or
• Initial excitement for this story fades and the climax still seems a long way off.  

Any of these can result in the writing process coming to a grinding halt, enthusiasm wanes and the project is abandoned or comes to a weak finish.

But there are four simple strategies to avoid a saggy middle.

1. Find the story’s throughline.
2. Create a roadmap for where you’re headed.
3. Exploit existing conflicts.
4. Ensure characters have agency.

What the Midpoint Should Achieve  

“Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.” Kurt Vonnegut

This is especially true in the middle of a novel, where we risk getting side-tracked by interesting tangents and throwing in a bunch of random conflicts so we don’t lose the reader’s interest.

The truth is, writing the middle of the book is difficult because it’s where the meaty bits of the story are.

The middle is where the MC:

• Despairs that all is lost and they can’t possibly achieve their goal.
• Doesn’t want to keep struggling because the situation seems hopeless.

It’s a real emotional turning point, where they have a revelation about how their beliefs, values and/or approach has been wrong. They make a new plan to achieve their goal and go from reacting to events, to proactively problem solving.

Despite realising what continuing on this journey might cost them (and the stakes should be high) they determinedly recommit to achieving their goal.

#1 Find the Throughline

I believe the most important thing to get right is articulating the story’s throughline, because it clarifies what is truly important to the Main Character’s (MC’s) journey through this book, and naturally strips away all the bits that don’t need to be there to drive the MC to that end.

Picture the throughline as a thread that joins the beginning and end of the story, i.e.:

• Who the MC is at the beginning of the story; and
• Who they will be at the end of the story after they have overcome all kinds of difficulties and learnt what will actually make them happy or emotionally whole.

Who the MC is deep inside determines their external goal (what they want) and actions (how they will go about getting it), and these motivations stem from:

• What they believe will make them happy or emotionally whole; and
• Backstory events that formed the beliefs that are relevant to what they want in this story.

For example in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, the throughline is Harry discovering the truth about who and what Sirius Black really is and the crime he was imprisoned for.

Staying focused on this throughline makes everything in the story cohesive and driven towards the one clear objective.

#2 Create a Roadmap

Uncertainty about the direction of the plot often results in a meandering narrative and slow pacing. Creating a roadmap gives you tangible targets to aim for and alleviates that lost feeling.

Fleshing out the scenes that will carry the MC from the midpoint crisis to climax, provides stepping stones to move the characters through the story, ensuring they take purposeful actions that are aligned to the throughline.

The large mid-section of a book sets-up everything we need for the climax and ensures the MC overcoming it feels like a true accomplishment.

Keeping in mind what the midpoint should achieve (above in What the Midpoint Should Achieve), include these things:

• Set-up the midpoint crisis, showing how difficult the situation is and what’s at stake if they fail.
• Throw a spanner into the spokes of the MC’s bicycle (so as to speak) with a shocking event or revelation that makes it seem like there is no way for them to reach their goal, e.g.:
  • Deliver their worst nightmare.
  • Take away their safety net.
  • Reveal a secret that could ruin them.
  • Make them so miserable they want to give up.
  • Have them learn something shocking about the antagonist.
• Ideally you want to make the MC’s emotional goal clash with their external goal to create a dilemma that will result in undesirable outcomes no matter which way they go.

For example –

If they tell the truth they will lose their job, but if they lie they will have to live with the risk of being found out later anyway.

• The resulting self-reflection shifts the MC’s perspective. They question their beliefs and approach to the situation, and then realise how they need to change (their beliefs or tactics) in order to succeed.
• Make a new-improved plan to achieve their goal and remind readers what’s at stake if they fail to achieve it. This is a good time to reveal more about the superiority of the antagonist’s skills and/or resources.
• Have the MC gather allies and supplies, or learn skills that will help them in the climax.

And if all else fails, write the ending first. Seriously, knowing what the MC’s life will look like after they have overcome the antagonist and achieved their goal, will trigger ideas for situations that will lead up to this.

#3 Exploit Conflicts and Increase Stakes

Exploiting conflict is a powerful strategy for keeping a novel’s middle tense and engaging. It drives the plot and ensures the story doesn’t lose steam before it gets to the end.

Ensuring there is something significant at stake if the MC fails to achieve their goals, will realistically push them to take desperate measures, as well as keeping readers on the edge of their seats waiting to see how the conflicts will be resolved.

When characters are put into difficult situations, it forces them to make tough decisions, adapt to new situations and grow in unexpected ways.

Conflicts can take various forms:

• External struggles against an antagonist.
• Challenging environments and situations.
• Emotional turmoil within themselves.

Developing a strong character arc, enables you to leverage the MC’s inner fears and false beliefs as a catalyst to force them into uncomfortable situations that highlight their shortcomings. Through their actions we learn about their strengths, flaws and desires, revealing their true natures.

Whenever possible, play conflicts off one another to create heightened levels of tension, and then increase what’s at stake if the MC fails, therefore making the situation desperate.

For example, if a detective is trying to solve a murder, you could use these conflicts:

• An external threat with the murderer hunting the detective. Increase the stakes by add a deadline.
• Personal conflict with a family member who becomes a suspect. Increase the stakes by having them kidnapped by the killer.
• A professional conflict with two detectives vying for a promotion and everything hinges on this case. Increase the stakes by having the killer make it look like the detective is involved.
• Leverage the detective’s childhood trauma of being raped, by making this a child abuse murder.

By leaning into a variety of conflicts, you create a complex and layered story that will captivate readers.

#4 Ensure Characters Have Agency

Ensuring characters have agency simply means having the MC make their own decisions and actively pursue their goals, so they can affect outcomes. It’s particularly important they develop more agency from the midpoint of the story because they are no longer just reacting to events or letting other characters take the lead. Now they shift to being proactive.

A proactive MC is essential for maintaining story momentum and avoiding a saggy middle.

When the MC actively pursues their goals and problem solves to overcome obstacles it:

• Draws readers along with them, eager to see how the story will unfold.
• Makes it easier for you to figure out what should happen next because there will be a cause and effect cycle, e.g. if they want X they have to do A, B, and C to get it.
• Inherently conflicts with the antagonist’s goals, keeping tension high.
• Reveals more of who the character is because they will approach problems differently to other characters, based on their desires, beliefs and fears. The way they approach a problem needs to be aligned with the book’s end goal, their motivations and what stage of changing their false belief they are at. In other words, it needs to be realistic within the scope of the story.

This constant drive to get what they want, ensures the plot is always progressing, which creates momentum in the story.

Using these four strategies will prevent you writing aimlessly towards a distant ending and getting stuck at the dreaded saggy middle, because it provides a meaningful and tangible direction for the story. The result is a cohesive plot with plenty of momentum that makes for a compelling read.

Are you stuck in a rut of writing novels you never finish, never submit or aren’t sure how to fix?

Join Sandy’s supportive Facebook community for Female Contemporary Fiction Authors who want to plan and finish novels traditional publishers can’t resist!

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About Sandy

Sandy Vaile is an internationally published author with decades of experience in the fiction industry, who empowers female contemporary fiction writers to plan and finish novels traditional publishers can’t resist, through fiction coaching, courses and developmental editing.

Sandy writes romantic suspense for Simon & Schuster US and, in her spare time, is a motorbike-riding daredevil with a sense of adventure. She is lucky enough to live in the McLaren Vale wine region, so there are plenty of excuses for cheese platters and bubbles.

www.fearlessprose.com

Top Image by Tep Ro from Pixabay