How to Get Through the Sagging Middle of Your Book

Middles suck. Middles are hard. Is the middle of your book sagging? A muddled mess? Let's talk about the middle of your book. I'm sharing what you need in the middle, beats to follow, things to consider for an engaging read... and how you can use these things both for drafting and in revision.
Much like the middle, it's a big muddle of discussion. Time stamps below to help you navigate.
+TIMESTAMPS+
01:17 Fun & Games/Promise of the Premise beat w/ examples
04:05 Pacing in the middle/book structure
05:37 A series of unfortunate events (conflict & obstacles)
08:04 Asking & answering questions
10:31 The key ingredients of your middle
12:35 Your book is a rollercoaster ride
15:39 Dramatizing vs. narration
19:21 Practical revision tips for the middle
+BOOKS MENTIONED+
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Eyre Affair/Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde
+RELATED VIDEOS+
How to write a page-turner: • The Secret to Writing ...
Dramatization vs. narration: • NARRATE vs. DRAMATIZE ...
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[@AlexaDonne]

Did this help you figure out your middle?! +TIMESTAMPS+ 01:17 Fun & Games/Promise of the Premise beat w/ examples 04:05 Pacing in the middle/book structure 05:37 A series of unfortunate events (conflict & obstacles) 08:04 Asking & answering questions 10:31 The key ingredients of your middle 12:35 Your book is a rollercoaster ride 15:39 Dramatizing vs. narration 19:21 Practical revision tips for the middle

[@joannamiller9446]

Yes! This is so helpful.

[@Hxarh]

TLDR 21:44 😂

[@johncostello8774]

@@joannamiller9446 you're my writing mentor! Love your info!

[@pamelapeters3342]

V

[@denikoatay]

"You need the most pep talks for the middle" Ummmmm... This was not it, that much I can say :D

[@TheWordN3rd]

"You need to lull your readers into a false sense of security" And this is why I NEVER trust the happy/calm moments. 😂 I know it's all about to go terribly wrong.

[@robertag.4176]

That's why I have trust issues...lol

[@Reshme77]

Yup

[@mmemonarch]

When you're reading the happy ending but realize there's still 200 pages left...

[@mindfulmeditation8467]

"Have you ever read a book where it's just a series of unfortunate events?" Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events: ... What's wrong with that?

[@Youcifer]

Lol, I think that was an intentional allusion and that she might’ve been partly facetious. Those books aren't all "unfortunate events" - just the titles.

[@pauline_f328]

I was never able to finish reading the series. I always felt like it should have ended at the end of the volume I'd just read. In short, I found it too episodic - in a depressing way. I assume it got famous because it's a good series, I just - I never got used to how each volume had a similar, repetitive structure, personally :(

[@nevisnebis1207]

@@pauline_f328 to each their own, I suppose, lol. Despite the depressive tone and repetitiveness (neither of which I personally mind much at all, I feel like the way it was done worked for me) the comedy laced in the tragedy kept me hooked throughout both the book series and the show (which was great imo- if you’re willing to give it another chance, the show is just lovely and I recommend it

[@pauline_f328]

@@nevisnebis1207 Will keep that in mind, thank you! 😊

[@leech1355]

“Your act one should be short and sweet” *Act 1 is currently 27k words* *Feels attacked*

[@AmethystWoman]

That's good/ok if it's only 30% of your whole? Some books or movies are really long! 😁 (Is some of it fat that doesn't move the action along? Or description that can be moved to the middle? Are you giving too much info too soon? Those are the questions I am learning to ask if my first act is too long.

[@leech1355]

AmethystWoman The issue is more that I have multiple inciting incidents before the clear break into two beat, so that’s bulked things out some. If anything I could stand to add more. Also this story will be so long.

[@Myseenee]

Haha I'm in your camp! My Act 1 is just off 30k xD

[@hannahnewnham4220]

Yeah mines 21k and I think I kind of started with the middle tho- oops

[@dsaillant811]

That's nothing lol, mine got up to 63k before getting out of Act I before I realized how overbloated it was and I shelved it to regroup. To be fair it was an epic fantasy, but still, it was just a tad excessive.

[@ainsleemcnamara7514]

I went to film school, and most of my instructors referred to the middle as "the wasteland" and I must say, I always found that an apt description.

[@gailasprey7787]

Once you make a middle as a writer work you can make any story. And what helps me when I’m stuck is I talk to myself and pace the room and think about the book I’m writing, the arcs I want to develop and the romance I want to get started. The blood flowing through my body faster helps me to write and me talking to myself is letting me hear what I have to say and giving me inspiration. I think it’s a good strategy and I hope this will help!

[@spankinrainbows1587]

I'm writing up a crime thriller and I figured out a major thing by talking to myself in the car. It really does help lol

[@spraticus12]

I feel like I've learned more from your videos than I ever did in college... Thank you for taking time to explain actual logistics!

[@Youcifer]

Me too. I have a B.A. in English/Creative Writing, and the most useful skills I've learned were from authortube, lol.

[@Ruthie888]

Once I learned to think of middles as each chapter being a mini-story as if they're going to be an hour episode of a TV show, it helps a ton. I love the Save the Cat!

[@rachel9349]

Just reached the 10,000 word mark in my novel and I'm really feeling it 😭😭.

[@ashwiniagrawal6309]

Are you done writing?

[@rachel9349]

@@ashwiniagrawal6309 I've written like four books since I posted this comment.

[@ashwiniagrawal6309]

Four??? That's great man.. that too in the span of 8 months ! Published?

[@rachel9349]

@@ashwiniagrawal6309 No. I just started writing about three years ago. I don't think my work is ready for publishing. I'm hoping by 2022 I will have something published.

[@ashwiniagrawal6309]

Happy to hear that ! Where do you summon that much patience from 🙈

[@KarleensCreativeWorld]

It’s took me a minute to realize you weren’t using the book series A Series of Unfortunate Events and rather talking about a section of a story. Oops. This is super helpful now I just need to finish writing my novel.

[@ririsu_jay]

Lol same

[@zackaryjackson4568]

“You can do your fun and games in the 2nd act.” Me: writing a horror thriller/dark comedy *laughs*

[@Itslexreads]

funny story, I've been having a really hard time with the end of my act two/beginning of act 3, and while watching this, I had a realization. My B plot should be the main plot. Don't mind me while I go and change the whole thing! It makes so much more sense now.

[@flutenanyidk1806]

There was an entire subplot that popped up in the middle of my novel that was supposed to be sprinkled throughout the entire thing. My character, Peter, popped up in my head and said "hey. You forgot about me. I'm going to tell you something that happened in this time that you forgot." Great. Thanks Peter. Edit: Meaning, I feel you. I'm sorry.

[@vickimicki1989]

I noticed you used very limited cuts and edits. That’s really impressive to be able to say all this without jumping around. This also really helped. Lagging middle syndrome sucks. Thanks!

[@origamiknife7556]

I'm a relatively new author, but I have found my act 2 to be my favorite, it gives me the most room to explore my characters and my world.

[@atlas1595]

Same!

[@gabrielabianchi1809]

I had a hard time with bridging my middle with my ending. I would just get so stuck...

[@KristenElizabeth4]

I seriously get a whole ass creative writing course just watching your videos, thank you for these

[@musicbyella3769]

Oof this was so useful, I made a whole bunch of notes in my planning doc from this aha

[@gypsymoth8977]

When revising and addressing the balance of conflict I find it helpful to frame it as “the stakes” instead of the conflict. The spectrum looks more like: I forgot my umbrella/ I got caught in a downpour- I drove drunk/ my best friend is in a coma INSTEAD OF a conflict spectrum which can be oversimplified: I was caught in a downpour- my best friend is in the hospital. Lower stakes conflicts can sustain small pay-offs for your reader and create relevant ways to show readers things about your characters. Thanks for your videos Alexa 🤟

[@MrMongomoryST]

This is the most helpful video about the murky middle I've seen yet. And trust me I've watched a lot 😂

[@stephaniejean7429]

“What else could go wrong?” Me when I was while listening to A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE

[@J3ennife4]

This is actually so helpful to me!! I'm kind of writing from two povs (protagonist and antagonist) and this has really helped me figure how to tackle the middle of book one - as well as the middle of my planned series in general!! The day I saw Sara Raasch's TikTok reacting to your video on the YA industry literally changed my life. Love these videos you do :-)

[@TFrills]

Damn, Alexa. I must say, your videos are indispensable. Thank you. I'm struggling through a middle right now... You're the most thorough and educated authortuber I've found. This video is awesome!

[@EM-ug8ud]

She be so well spoken tho ^_^/ thank you for injecting all the knowledge that I will hopefully use while finishing my crappy book

[@dylanwickersham5610]

Wait.....The Eyre Affair is part of a series? There's more Thursday Next? I feel oddly relieved...

[@johnathanmorton]

Along with fun and games and all your other great tips. I look at the middle as building up promises that you can pay off latter. Answering small questions here as well, builds trust with the reader. In a since you promise them that their big questions will get answered.

[@amandunn1]

Absolutely!

[@michaelaschmidt2066]

This is by far the most helpful video I could find on writing Act 2! I have never gotten this far in writing a book, and I've hit Act 2 going, oh shoot, I need to study more or this is going to suck... Your video was not only informational, but definitely helped my mindset as I plunge into this next section! Thank you!

[@nanab.1738]

Amazing timing! I'm currently drafting the middle and I'm stuck...You helped me realize that I was going through it way too fast and that I needed to let the characters breathe a bit.

[@delyseonduty]

Yes yes yes, I neeeeed this today! Thank you as always

[@BayleyMae]

Ah this was really helpful and exactly what I needed right now!

[@hollowmae]

These were wonderful tips! Thank you so much!!

[@heatherh.1501]

Great specific suggestions here. Thanks.

[@tathoiclassicalindianbollywood]

This is really helpful Alexa. I loved these long videos, where you really deep dive into the topic at hand. Thank you for this. :)

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm working on the middle chapters of my novel right now!

[@Ruthie888]

A cool thing I learned from Contours writing program when thinking of the main character Act I - ORPHAN, Act II-A WANDERER, Act II-B WARRIOR, Act III - MARTYR.

[@traytyler2138]

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! Your videos are a blessing!

[@rachellyn5897]

I found this super helpful! I'm in the middle of my WIP now, and it's a bit of a challenge.

[@Griddiho]

Oh boy, you just nailed a whole bunch of problems I have in my middle. Really useful. Many thanks.

[@brimfajardo3727]

This really helped me!!! It enlightened me 😊Thank you!

[@CloudyMagpie]

Thanks for this! I was noticing just last night how my middle was so difficult to write. I’m glad to know it wasn’t just my imagination, thank you for the tips!

[@mariamcdonald973]

Extremely helpful! I particularly appreciate your suggestion of the Q+A paradigm for approaching the middle, and for giving the clearest and most succinct explanation of 'fun and games' I have run across!

[@JenLovesCraft]

So I've seen this video before already... but now that I am watching it again when having trouble with my middle it gave me so much ideas!! Thank you!

[@TheReadingWerewolf]

All the good advice that I needed to hear. :D

[@Candellina]

I simply want to say, Alexa, you are HILARIOUS. Also, of course, you have a lot of practical and concrete writing tips. Thanks a million.

[@doro4158]

i am so thankful for your channal! You help me so much with my book!

[@catrandle9439]

Oh my goodness I love Thursday next as well. This is very helpful and it's helped me understand why my rewrite is going the way it is.

[@skterentiev8338]

Omg thank you so much! I have been stuck at exactly the middle of my novel for a couple weeks now. I am a plotter and I know where I’m going, but something has been really wrong and I couldn’t make myself move forwards. You nailed it. There’s too much... blah here. I had this really big thing happen and now we’re all just sitting here doing things I thought needed to happen. Cue the training montage. But it doesn’t need to be there and it’s bogging EVERYTHING down. Thank you so so much for posting this!

[@tessa3474]

You know I didn't even realize I was at this point in my novel draft until I watched this video and it makes SO. MUCH. SENSE. why I was dragging here. Now I know where I need to go. I love how you explain information, it's so concise and easy to relate to. Love your videos!

[@SysterYster]

Very good and helpful video. I really enjoy your videos so far. :)

[@RashmikaLikesBooks]

I went through these questions a few years ago and hardly found anyone speaking about it online. This video is so helpful to navigate through the muddled middle territory. Three act structure and plotting guides help, but I'm much better at act one and three than act two.

[@cheyennetrumbos]

HOLY SHIT! I read Thursday Next FOREVER ago, but for the life of me couldn't remember ANYTHING other than the plot, not the title, not the author. You started talking about it and 'Jane Eyre being missing' I jumped out of my seat like.... THAT'S IT! I read them in highschool checked them out from the library. I need to see about buying them. I LOVED those books.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Great video, Alexa! Some great advice and perspective there... Not trying to pose as an expert, but as I listened to this, I couldn't help thinking... pragmatically. If one were to simply open a spare place to keep documents, a separate file in the book's directory (for instance... and dependent on writer's structural/organization preference) AND then treated this "middle territory" as a space to play around and experiment. Write up scenes, short-stories, whatever... just as long as it fleshes out the setting/world, the characters involved, and creates content "presumably for the book" you can include it... From there, as you've refined your ideas toward more tangible stuff, you can get back to the "beats" and "plot-points" to figure out approximately what order and how best to segue from one to the next... to generate the most (or "closest to") optimal structure in the final product... and run the "copy-paste" operations accordingly... Sure, it will come with obvious refining and occasional complete redress of some parts, but stitching together what you've already got is usually a less intensively dragging task than trying to spawn one scene after another to strike the points as you go... at least, that's what it sounds like from the fairly consistent perspectives I hear and see all the time from writers. In the "old days" this might be that technique with sticky-notes on the wall and thumb-tacks and string to connect the issues in a convincing way. Only digitally speaking, it's probably a lot less messy (and you don't find nearly as many thumbtacks stuck to your shoes... yay for bare feet? Finally, it's worth noting that no matter the technique, writing is much like any other artistic craft. The discipline to keep focus and "trim out" the excesses to keep the business going is still paramount. You do have to "stop creating" sometimes... and a truly remarkable artist is the one who knows when and where to stop... some seemingly by instinct (though I'd admit some suspicion about hard-lessons in failure and fumbling quite a bit on that... if I'm honest.) ;o)

[@relaxingteatime]

Your videos are SO HELPFUL. I'm currently in the middle of a novel and this is helping me so much! If I'd found your channel in 2011 I could've skipped going to uni altogether.

[@PhoebeWritesFiction]

Love this advice! Personally I do have way more trouble with the third act. I'm trying to rewrite the climax of a novel I'm revising, and I can tell I need to go back to my favourite books (again) and examine how they do it.

[@CRIMSONarteries]

Your videos are so helpful. Every time I watch one that I think I've got down, you explain something so clearly that I have to be like, "Oh yeah, I'm missing that part." I'm definitely going to have to add more moments of rest and reflection between my series of unfortunate events in the second draft.

[@ChristineGloverauthor]

Great advice. So well timed as I work on my novella. I tend to rush the opening in shorter books.

[@doro4158]

done watching the Video, now gotta go writing

[@AnonosaurusRex1]

Alexa Donne - I have listened to dozens and dozens of writing.tutorials. Your's are easily among the best. Thank you🤘😎

[@user-kc6cn3os5x]

Great analysis and advice. I knew nothing about IP before, but I watched your video in one sitting and feel I really have a handle on all aspects of the subject. Thank you Alexa! I shall be back in for more publishing advice.

[@AJtraductora]

THANK YOU!!! I have heard so many writers talking about needing to have all these bad things happen to the character to keep readers reading through your novel! I'm just like I don't want to do that because I didn't realize I felt like you said about "series of unfortunate events" type conflicts and whacking my character unnecessarily!! This was so insightful! Very helpful!!

[@helewis]

I've watched this video so many times, and here I am again, having trouble writing the second act for my fantasy. It's so much harder than I remembered it to be Btw I can't believe this video is 2 years old, I watched it when you posted it and it doesn't feel that long ago lol

[@jconnor1337]

Always nice to hear opinions on how to improve. right now I'm 4.5 chapts in on a rewrite of an old book. I never liked it but didn't know why and so there it sat... for decades. when I finally realized my problem the rewrites began, problem is every couple of pages there's a sentence like this: His excessive ambition sought a diamond in the ocean where the sting of jellyfish spanked their bottoms after a drag over sandpaper. will these work? I have to finish. Damn it.

[@TheEccentricRaven]

This is great advice thanks ❤

[@Grace-rh4em]

I've just gotten to the part of my book I've been working towards for literally two years! My old laptop deleted content that set me back that long! But now I'm in that slump. Idk where to go. Pray for me, fellow writers.

[@emirii12]

Sounds a bit strange, but I email myself my book after I work on it. So I know I have a updated version at all times

[@rileyackison4495]

6 months later how’s your book going?

[@janvier882]

The Eyre Affair is one of my all time faves, too!

[@martha7408]

Thanks Alexa, this was really helpful, I am currently writing the middle of my novel and struggling with the pacing. Also, was wondering if you could do a Q&A??

[@kimday5803]

I started this book in the middle of my story plot. Which is an action romantic apocalyptic zombie book. So the middle of the book is the start of the story plot. I've been taking my time with this draft and you have given me advice on this book.

[@denanebergall5514]

I'm so impressed you actually know who Thursday Next is!! NO ONE I know has EVER heard of Thursday Next or Jasper Fforde!

[@hayleyhistorynerd2211]

Great video Alexa, middles are hard, oh my goodness, but your video is very helpful. Thank-you also for the kindle percent mark of breaking into two at 20% that's really useful information and breaking into the third by 75%. Thank-you also for the recommendation of your Dramatizing vs Narrating video, I'll definitely be watching that one next. Hayley ^_^

[@cenedra20]

Making a note to watch this again when I'm working on my next book

[@thunderizrr2813]

Literally, thank you so much

[@venugopalanvenu7201]

Soo helpful!!!🎀🎀

[@JaniceSeagraves]

I like how you explained the saggy middle problems.

[@louisemunro9437]

I think what makes middles most difficult for writers is primacy and recency. You remember best what happened first and what happened last. So every book a writer has ever read builds a massive network of ideas and structures and phrasing and plotting and pacing, but only of the things you remember about the book: the first and last acts. It's difficult to build a strong foundation for second act structure when you barely remember the basics of plot for a handful of novels over your reading lifetime. Therefore, middle does not come naturally when you sit down and draw upon your reading foundation to write your WIP. Solution: pay attention to the way the author has written the middle of each book you next read. Make notes to enhance recall. Build that network for the second act by noticing it in what you read.

[@AmethystWoman]

Thank you. I have so many beginnings and ends in my folders that are missing middles. I just need to sit and spew what I want to be there, check the beats and fill it in for draft one. Middles stop me. Thanks.

[@annmurry8589]

My outline is making the middle seem clear and not concerning. It helps alot. I find that when I write the action first and add dialogue, description, and scenery later I stay on plot pretty well. It looks like the "promise of the premise" is already there waiting for 5-7 scenes of buildup set it up. I love the Murphy's law strategy of making all the bad things happen and watching the character grow through it. I think it's the game master in me delighting in creating problems to deal with and consequences. The best is when the bad things were sort of their fault. Muahaha. I feel like I struggle more with falling action and reflection making the ending satisfying.

[@cjirikowic]

I was stuck on my Chapter 4 Now I know what I am going to do. Thank you!!!!!!!!

[@3dstuff654]

I had such a hard time today writing my middle, I felt like I had a great beginning and great ending but a crap middle, this really helped

[@atlas1595]

The hardest thing for me is the end because the middle is when the ball is rolling, and then in Act 3 I have to just end things. It's not as fun for some reason... it's easy to procrastinate once I hit 50-60k because I know at that point I'm just tying up the ends.

[@MindOfAlpo]

Thank you so much!! On my 7th rewrite I can’t start over again 😂

[@venugopalanvenu7201]

Thank u this means so much 😘😘😘

[@CurriedBat]

Sitting here listening to you I worked through a scene that wasn't working, made some emotional beats and boom! Thanks... though, I should write it down before writing this comment... I often overestimate my memory capacity, or underestimate the ability of my brain on cannabis to blank out a new idea; as it happens, bits of the memory fall into a chasm and are lost... some of my best lines were lost before I could get them down- the voice of God in one of my books, ugh if I could only remember it. Important story beats like the one humming around in my brain aren't necessarily something that can be remembered or forgotten though, they simply are an essential part of the story. The scene in question explains a motivational character beat, thus enhancing multiple characters in the moment. Woohoo.

[@outlierbookreview8338]

I don’t think have that problem yet. My possible book is still meandering in my head. I have a tentative outline on paper though. Yah me!

[@stephaniejean7429]

Right now, I’m having a hard time getting through the middle of act 1 haha.

[@rivkabegun9411]

Very helpful!!!

[@brianquinn5765]

Just started on the middle, yay 😭

[@tattoolover5753]

Love the video

[@FranciscoSeoane]

Hey Alexa!!! Greeting from Argentina! Love your videos!

[@sarahashley273]

Very helpful

[@DaniCavenderHandley]

I feel like a good example of a book that is a good book but suffers from a saggy middle is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Harry just seems to spend an absolute age in detention in the middle of that book, and it’s like “ok, we get it, Umbridge is evil and owns a harming quill”

[@cheyennetrumbos]

Oh my God, I always forget about the existence of Thursday Next until Alexa mentions the books. I loved those books SOOOO much

[@YukataKaytee]

I love how your videos don't waste a lot of time and dig their teeth right into the meat. A writer's life's too short (or rather I have little attention span and should be writing right now).

[@ashtrologytv]

I wish you were my creative writing teacher

[@ThanhTran-gb4pw]

The middle is what I enjoy writing. It's where all the ideas are in my novels. I have a much harder time deciding how to open a story or to end it for that matter.

[@susanmiller5912]

I really enjoyed Thursday Next! Can you say more about the parts that make up the middle? As in there are three acts, but what are the three parts that must be in the middle?

[@rossbob6107]

A series of unfortunate events by Lemony Snicket is one of my favorite books

[@kamila-ur6uu]

5:49-6:03 you just summarized the After series 😂😂

[@icyglaceon4435]

I'm revising everything

[@oliverford5367]

Romance too often has a saggy middle. Between the meet cute and the HEA ending, there's usually a load of dumb childish drama to keep them apart to fill up the movie/book, then they finally get together. Hard to make the whole story feel like it's moving. Which is why I usually prefer romance as part of a bigger story.

[@RoseShojo]

Save The Cat writes a novel is really helpful If you feel lost and desperate at a point of your plotline ! :D Happy Writing to y'all

[@CurriedBat]

I've confused myself with the whole page number thing from my academic background. My writing friend mentioned that a book page is much shorter than a regular word doc page, but I didn't really consider it until recently. I have hundreds of pages of notes and prose that are in regular format in various documents... so the first time I wrote 50 pages of my book, that was actually a 100 page draft. It was in the middle that I kind of got caught up in character development, and perhaps simply too many characters. Hence why it's a trilogy now, but to think of all the condescending remarks about "oh how many pages have you written?" Like... a lot. "Oh, it should only take a few months to write a book..." Yeah they'll take years, but they'll be worth it.