Keeping it short this week because I’m up to my knees in story slurry.
The plot fell apart once I got put everyone on a boat to the continent. Effects with nonexistent causes abound, stuff happens without consequences, and useless character tail-chasing brings the action to a crashing halt.
So many craft books talk about the pitfalls of the “mushy middle” but I honestly thought that the sheer amount of stuff I have to cram into the second act would prevent it happening to me. Yet somehow boring departures/arrivals, exposition, and wheel-spinning are all in there and I have to hack them out.
This thing may never map out to a predictable plot structure but A must lead to B because C and have D lingering effects. Trying to include all the facts only left me with enough red herrings to stock a fishery and I’m having to cut out every one to avoid confusing the reader. I’m re-outlining to clarify themes and character arcs, which probably adds as much new junk as I’m cutting out.
The book’s taking a new shape I can’t define yet, but taking this wider view has already answered some long-standing plot questions. Repeated “edit-edit-edit, walk away” cycles tend to make fixes obvious, to the point that I can almost feel when another bit is about to snap into place.
Has anyone else experienced slump in the middle of your WIP? How did you straggle through?
Been there, done that! In the middle. In the beginning. At the end…and not just of the novel en toto’, but with each chapter!!
editEditEDIT…walk away…cry &rage…sleep…take a hike…return.
Yes…pretty much the same practice!
Hi there!
Good to know I’m on the right track. I just wish it didn’t take so damn long – I know I’m letting the story percolate but it feels like wheel-spinning! Since I’ve written this there is starting to be a light at the end of the tunnel though.