YOUR MIDDLE STORY : WHAT ’ S HAPPENING THERE ? By : Alice Orr
YOUR MIDDLE STORY : WHAT ’ S HAPPENING THERE ? By : Alice Orr
Middle of the B o o k Problems are Often a Matter of Pacing . There are middle stories that include too much . Too many digressions . Too much detail . Distracting time shifts . the story pace is slowed by bloating . Overstuffed scenes that should be sleek and streamlined .
What about Pacing Problems Caused by Including Too Little ? Too little plot . Too little event . Too little tension . There is not enough going on to keep the pages eagerly turning . Your reader no longer cares what happens next because too little is happening now .
A Romance-Mystery Novel Example . The hero must be a strong character . A murder has occurred . Her primary instinct should be to gravitate toward action and make things happen . But we are well into the story and there have been too few intense and dramatic scenes . Maybe the body discovery had story power but the pace has slowed down since then .
The Crucial Meet-Up with Her Potential Romantic Interest is not Much Better . This character may cause the hero trouble and even threaten to do her physical harm but the challenges are all verbal . They trade sharp remarks but that is the tension limit here .
The Author has Mistaken Arguing for Conflict . A common storytelling error . The tangle between these two central characters is never more than words . Anger may underlie the exchange but will this anger lead to true conflict that generates action and event ? This far into your story your reader is unfortunately losing interest in the answer to that question .
Which Raises an Even More Momentous Concern . Do you actually have a novel here ?” Is there enough drama in this story to keep your reader engaged ? Does what drama there is fizzle out ? What has gone wrong with the storytelling ? How can you reimagine your story ?
The Focus of Your Story Drama must be a Character in Trouble . Create fireworks between your romantic couple characters . Put your hero in real jeopardy from this character and others . Reveal her humanity . Make her vulnerable to threat which will make her more appealing to your reader . Put her in hot water . Keep her there . Raise the temperature .
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