This time of year reminds me of the middle of a novel. That time at the end of summer but before the holidays just kind of sags. Everyone (merchants, at least) want to jump forward to Christmas and skip uneventful September and October. That’s why we see Christmas decorations in all the stores already.

I get two or three letters from readers each month, and a surprising number of them have questions about writing. This month I got two separate letters with questions about how to write the middle of the book. It seems these writers got started and then found the story dragging.

I can totally relate to that. As a beginning writer, my middles went on and on—a never-ending stream of scene after scene. I still don’t enjoy writing middles. I want to get to the end (Christmas)!

But it helps me to get through the middle when I remind myself that it has a purpose and that there are ways to avoid the sag.

These are just a few tips and tricks I use. I’d love to hear yours.
1) The middle is there to show character growth. Give your character challenges so that s/he can grow.
2) The middle is where the hero and heroine fall in love (even though they may not realize it). In the beginning you set the foundation for their love. In the middle give it some firm support.
3) The middle is where you develop your secondary characters. Develop them well, and they may get a book of their own. Give them some scenes, but make sure those scenes advance the plot.
4) If your middle is sagging, give your hero and heroine a new problem. The villain throws them a new twist, new information comes to light, or—the old favorite—someone turns up dead.