In so many words

In So Many Words - June 2025

By Nicki Ehrlich

I’ve read a lot about how a book should capture a reader’s interest in the first paragraph. And how the ending must be satisfying for the reader. But sometimes we may concentrate too much on these things and let the middle go. Yes, we have to grab a reader’s interest, but we have to keep it, too. 

I recently read an article by Lauren Reynolds in Writers Digest Magazine about saggy middles. (I’m pretty sure she was talking about books.) And since I had just been thinking about that (okay, both waistline and novel), the article piqued my interest. Reynolds had great ideas. (In italics below.)

• Observe other authors’ middles. Check your favorite books’ middles and study how they are constructed to keep up the story’s pace. A new thread? A twist? 
• It’s never too late to write an outline. I’ve taken to doing this as I finish each chapter so that I can keep track of things.
• Keep writing forward. If you feel stuck, just skip ahead a bit and keep going. Something is bound to happen to trigger a scene that just might unstick and tighten up that middle.
• Print the middle section. I find it fascinating that the brain sees print on paper differently than print on the screen. This is why it’s important to review a printed copy of your manuscript before publication.
• Don’t give up. Well, now, that goes without saying, doesn’t it? 

A writer’s energy level will wax and wane. Sometimes we can’t wait to sit down and tickle the keyboard, or put pen to paper. Other times we need to sit and stare out the window or go for a walk. Keeping up the energy level is one of the challenges of longer work. And, when we edit, we need to pay attention not only to the beginning and the ending, but it’s important to stay sharp for that mid-section edit, as well.

When reviewing to make sure your middle doesn’t sag, or to fix it if it does, I’ve found these things helpful as well: 

         Character Development: Make sure your characters are being true to themselves. How would others describe the character? What is their worldview? How do they feel about x, y, z, that’s going on around them? What are their positive and negative traits? Answers to these questions don’t have to be literally written on the page, but the characters’ actions or feelings should reflect them. 

         Sensory Detail: Touch, taste, sight, hearing, smell. How often do you include these in your descriptions? You may have started out using them brilliantly, but somewhere along the way (that saggy middle), though clear in your head, you forgot to put them on the page.

Question motivation and always ask, “Does it (the action, the scene) keep the story moving forward?” Celebrate your captivating beginning, applaud your satisfying ending, and bridge the two with an engaging middle that keeps readers reading.

Happy writing!