Stuck in the Middle with You

Writing a book is like riding a roller coaster: But that long climb between getting strapped in for the ride and the heart pounding race to the end can be brutal. My tips to make the middle memorable!

I always say that writing a book is like riding a roller coaster.

You want the experience to be a memorable one: The anticipation of taking off in the beginning, the climb to the top and the heart pounding race to the end.

But what do we tend to remember about the rollercoaster? Getting strapped in for the ride and then holding on during the screaming descent to the conclusion.

But what about the middle? That part where you’re climbing — oh, so slowly, filled with anticipation — in order to get to the end? You have to spend quality time to get there. It’s like going on vacation: You pack with anticipation, but there is the long drive to get to the place you ultimately want to be.

The middle of a book is the same. Many authors know how they want to start a book. Many know how they want to end a story. But, goodness gracious, that middle part can be a bear. And it must be more than an ellipsis … it must be the place where you deepen the characters as well as the plot, show and resolve conflict, and yet keep it all moving crisply without inserting any unnecessary scenes.

It’s like the middle kid in a family: A lot of people remember the first born, or the last born, but the middle child is often the unheralded one, the critical conduit, the key piece that has to do a lot of work not only to live up to the first child and care for the last one but also be memorable in their own right.

How do you do it? Here are my tips when you’re stuck in the middle!