Just as a little reminder, in an earlier post I gave you my formula for writing a publishable book. BEST BEGINNINGS + MARVELOUS MIDDLES + EXPLOSIVE ENDINGS = BOOK CONTRACT. Today we’re going to talk about those marvelous middles.

Avoiding the sagging middle syndrome is crucial if you want to write an excellent book. So what exactly is the sagging middle syndrome? It’s that part in the story when you’re searching for something to write before you get to that great ending you’ve planned. It’s also the point where people start skimming your story instead of reading it.

And that’s not a good thing!

We want to keep our readers completely engaged in the story. But how? The key to marvelous middles is to keep the tension high, make the reader want to know what happens next.  Here’s a few ways to ensure MARVELOUS MIDDLES:

1. Introduce a new character. If they have a secret—even better!
2. Blow something up (or have another murder).
3. Add a ticking time bomb to the original problem.
4. Add a red herring, give the reader several choices for the murderer. That will keep them guessing, and that means they want to know what happens next!
5. Avoid all that back story you are dying to write. No matter how much you love it—it doesn’t move the story forward.

Here’s the key to writing marvelous middles, if you’re feeling bored or that the story is in that ho-hum stage, then do something to shock yourself and the reader. Keep doing that, and you will certainly avoid that sagging middle syndrome!

Whew! Now you’ve got your best beginning and a marvelous middle, so next time will look at  EXPLOSIVE ENDING that will wow that editor and have them clamoring for your manuscript.

UNTIL NEXT TIME…GOD BLESS & GOOD READING & GOOD WRITING!