I’ve reached the saggy middle (and so has my WIP)

[LA Thomas]

Thought I’d attempt Nano for the first time, with my romcom idea.

I’d started a bit early so began at the 25k mark and had an idea of roughly what would happen in the next few chapters so I managed to write 20k within the first two weeks but then I hit a wall at c45k. I had no plot, and no time to plot.

I realise Nano is pretty hard to pants.

Any tips on how to work out how to get from my middle to the end? I know loosely how it ends.

what do you all do? Are you all plotters? I have realised pantsing only gets you so far and would prefer to do some plotting.

I think I have migrated to a Plantser!

 

[RK Wallis]

This helped me:

The midpoint moment (which I fully explain in Chapter 5) is the moment that tells us what the novel or movie is really all about. You see, the character is going to have to face a death of some kind in the story. There are three kinds of death and one or more will confront the character, in bold relief, right smack dab in the middle of your novel.

Bell, James Scott. Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between (Bell on Writing) (p. 6). Compendium Press. Kindle Edition.

for romance:

Psychological death is the key to all romances, isn't it? If the two lovers don't get together, they will each miss out on their "soul mate." Their lives will be incurably damaged. Since readers of traditional romances know they're going to end up together, it's all the more important to create this illusion of imminent psychological death.

Bell, James Scott. Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between (Bell on Writing) (p. 9). Compendium Press. Kindle Edition.

When studying this, I grabbed three of my favorite movies at random and went to their midpoints. Here's what I found: In Moonstruck, right smack dab in the middle, is the scene where Loretta goes into the confessional, because she has "slept with the brother of my fiancé." The priest says, "That's a pretty big sin." Loretta says, "I know . . ." And the priest tells her, "Reflect on your life!" He is actually instructing her to look in the mirror!

Bell, James Scott. Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between (Bell on Writing) (p. 23). Compendium Press. Kindle Edition.

Hope that helps you get unstuck!

 

[Vagabond Heart]

I was a pantser. Didn’t realise it - just thought that’s how it was done.
Fast forward a gazillion rewrites (because plot holes, saggy middles, the works) and I have made myself become a plotter (kicking and screaming, I might add).

Now, when plotting, I always think of the mid-point as being fairly pivotal. It’s where the story has to ramp up a whole new level, where a surprise twist or unexpected turn must occur, where the obstacles to the resolution must significantly shift gear.
The middle of my book is where I want people reading it (who are already engaged) to now feel even more driven to find out how it works out in the end.

So how do you feel about putting a rough synopsis up, for us to see where you’re going and maybe help you with ideas?
Xxxxx

 

[Peyton Stafford]

@Vagabond Heart, you have a lot of great ideas. Could you point me to some of your published novels, so I can see how they worked out?

 

[Vagabond Heart]

@Vagabond Heart, you have a lot of great ideas. Could you point me to some of your published novels, so I can see how they worked out?

Oh, sweet Peyton, if this was anyone else (quite possibly Jonny, almost certainly Matt) I would assume this was a gentle, sarcastic, tease. But you are such a gent that I know it is genuinely meant. So I hate having to say that I am, as yet, unpublished. (Well, apart from the blog I used to write, which had quite a following in about 20-odd countries).
And the reason is partly this - up until a few, short years ago I thought I was a visual artist. Then I fell into a combined degree at University (Fine Art and Creative Writing, on the advice of a friend) and stumbled into this writing lark. Which has had me in its grip ever since.

Leaving University coincided with my husband's retirement, and we went travelling around Europe for three years in a beat-up, old, American motorhome. Then hubby passed away and I came home - to Covid and Brexit and living on benefits.
Writing saved me. I finished the book I'd started at uni, and went looking for agents to send it to. And found Litopia and agent Pete.

And I've been on such a steep learning curve since I joined, that I've taken the WIP I came here with and started all over again. I know I am an entirely different writer now than when I first started it. So I've been rethinking it based on what I know now.

I was hoping to have the first book in the trilogy actionable by the summer, and the subsequent books completely plotted and ready to write. But then, when I metaphorrically shoved it in a drawer so I could get some objective distance from it, and started work on a memoir of my RV years, using the blog as the starting point.
The opening chapter seemed to strike a chord with people, and the concensus was I should crack on with that. Ergo, that is what I am currently doing.
But being in Litopia has also shown me another passion. I think my path may not just be as a writer - I'm hoping to become knowledgable enough to work as a developmental editor someday. I love helping others with their WIPs. And I've been practicing that, and studying that, as much as I've been writing.

So ask me again in a year, ok? By then we can hopefully swap 'how I got my agent/publisher' stories. You will still be the kind, couteous and talented guy we've all come to know and love. I will be insufferable and totally swollen with self-importance. With any luck.
xxx

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

I''m a plotter. Will pants a piece of flash but wouldn't dare pants a whole novel. It would be like going for a swim without sight or knowledge of where any land is.

Rather than worry about the middle right now, can you work out how you want to end your novel? That might tell you what your pivotal moment should be. (Does nano allow you to plot?)

 

[Claire G]

I tend to pants my romances and plot my more psychological, twisty novels. I can get away with pantsing the former because I've read so many and the structure is just embedded in my head. As I write the beginning however, I always know the ending I'm heading towards but I try to work towards a big shift/revelation/drama/change in the middle. You've had some great advice here! Don't stress. Just think about what conflict/dilemma could hit your characters to ramp things up xxx

 

[LA Thomas]

This helped me:

The midpoint moment (which I fully explain in Chapter 5) is the moment that tells us what the novel or movie is really all about. You see, the character is going to have to face a death of some kind in the story. There are three kinds of death and one or more will confront the character, in bold relief, right smack dab in the middle of your novel.

Bell, James Scott. Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between (Bell on Writing) (p. 6). Compendium Press. Kindle Edition.

for romance:

Psychological death is the key to all romances, isn't it? If the two lovers don't get together, they will each miss out on their "soul mate." Their lives will be incurably damaged. Since readers of traditional romances know they're going to end up together, it's all the more important to create this illusion of imminent psychological death.

Bell, James Scott. Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between (Bell on Writing) (p. 9). Compendium Press. Kindle Edition.

When studying this, I grabbed three of my favorite movies at random and went to their midpoints. Here's what I found: In Moonstruck, right smack dab in the middle, is the scene where Loretta goes into the confessional, because she has "slept with the brother of my fiancé." The priest says, "That's a pretty big sin." Loretta says, "I know . . ." And the priest tells her, "Reflect on your life!" He is actually instructing her to look in the mirror!

Bell, James Scott. Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between (Bell on Writing) (p. 23). Compendium Press. Kindle Edition.

Hope that helps you get unstuck!

That’s awesome, thanks so much!!!

 

[LA Thomas]

I was a pantser. Didn’t realise it - just thought that’s how it was done.
Fast forward a gazillion rewrites (because plot holes, saggy middles, the works) and I have made myself become a plotter (kicking and screaming, I might add).

Now, when plotting, I always think of the mid-point as being fairly pivotal. It’s where the story has to ramp up a whole new level, where a surprise twist or unexpected turn must occur, where the obstacles to the resolution must significantly shift gear.
The middle of my book is where I want people reading it (who are already engaged) to now feel even more driven to find out how it works out in the end.

So how do you feel about putting a rough synopsis up, for us to see where you’re going and maybe help you with ideas?
Xxxxx

Thanks a lot, VH. I’ll take an another look I do have a scrappy Synopsis, but don’t feel comfortable sharing openly online.

 

[LA Thomas]

I''m a plotter. Will pants a piece of flash but wouldn't dare pants a whole novel. It would be like going for a swim without sight or knowledge of where any land is.

Rather than worry about the middle right now, can you work out how you want to end your novel? That might tell you what your pivotal moment should be. (Does nano allow you to plot?)

Thanks Hannah. I have the ending in mind already, hence my request for hints as to how to plot from the middle to that end point.

 

[LA Thomas]

I tend to pants my romances and plot my more psychological, twisty novels. I can get away with pantsing the former because I've read so many and the structure is just embedded in my head. As I write the beginning however, I always know the ending I'm heading towards but I try to work towards a big shift/revelation/drama/change in the middle. You've had some great advice here! Don't stress. Just think about what conflict/dilemma could hit your characters to ramp things up xxx

Thanks Claire. I’m sure it will come to me in the end. I’m just impatient

 

[Vagabond Heart]

Thanks a lot, VH. I’ll take an another look I do have a scrappy Synopsis, but don’t feel comfortable sharing openly online.

Wanna DM it to me?

 

[Rachael Burnett]

Two ideas:

1. Write the end now and see if that inspires the middle later.
2. Start writing the middle (perhaps even in a different document), try not to worry about whether it'll work, just write and see where it takes you.

Whatever you decide, wishing you great success .

 

[Pamela Jo]

I'm a hybrid. The outline I start with evolves to something a lot more interesting. Or simple. Whichever is better. Stephen King claims to be a pantser, but either someone rewrote Carrie and a lot of those other books for him , pity the poor editor, or he was so high he doesn't remember he wrote an outline. I feel his later books like the Tower series just fall apart despite the really strong imagery. It was like reading an MTV video. See: Eclipse of the Heart. I feel working synopses save a hell of a lot of heartbreak. Thank God for subplots. You know how we writers usually start the story too late or too soon? Have a look at your beginning. Maybe it IS the middle.

 

[LA Thomas]

Wanna DM it to me?

Thanks VH, that’s kind of you. I want to work on it for a couple of weeks as I’ve had an idea. Then I’ll hit you up…

 

[LA Thomas]

T

Two ideas:

1. Write the end now and see if that inspires the middle later.
2. Start writing the middle (perhaps even in a different document), try not to worry about whether it'll work, just write and see where it takes you.

Whatever you decide, wishing you great success .

Thanks Rachel.

i do know how it ends so will start flushing out later chapters.

 

[LA Thomas]

I'm a hybrid. The outline I start with evolves to something a lot more interesting. Or simple. Whichever is better. Stephen King claims to be a pantser, but either someone rewrote Carrie and a lot of those other books for him , pity the poor editor, or he was so high he doesn't remember he wrote an outline. I feel his later books like the Tower series just fall apart despite the really strong imagery. It was like reading an MTV video. See: Eclipse of the Heart. I feel working synopses save a hell of a lot of heartbreak. Thank God for subplots. You know how we writers usually start the story too late or too soon? Have a look at your beginning. Maybe it IS the middle.

Thanks PJ. I forgot that I have been skipping bits, and not writing setting etc, so I expect out of 50k I probably have already written the middle. I’m up to chapter 25/30 so need to revisit it and see what happens around the chapter 15 mark.