Help! I’m Stuck in the Muddy Middle!

Most times we can see where our story begins and where it ends, but it’s the muddy middle where we get stuck and face writer’s block. Here are some tips to get you out of the sludge and moving again.

Get yourself out of the muddy middle.

The Muddy Middle

I don’t know about you, but I know when I’ve reached the middle of my work-in-progress. My writing becomes slower, and slower, and slower. The excitement I once felt for my characters has waned, and my plot has veered off into another galaxy that wasn’t part of my original outline. Frustration sets in, and I’m ready to hit the delete key on my entire manuscript. I’ve entered the muddy middle, and not even chocolate will get me back to my computer.

We’ve all been there. We know it’s coming, and yet, we still head straight for the mud.

Usually, you’re spinning your wheels in one, or more, of these areas:

• Your character’s arc has flattened

• A runaway plot (or sub-plots) that no longer moves your story forward

• Weakening stakes for your character to reach their goal

• Lagging tension, creating story ennui

Tips to Unstick your story

1. Skip IT

   If you’re stuck on a particularly muddy scene, skip it and pick out a scene ahead you’re excited to write. There’s no rule that you have to pen your story in order. (By the way, this is good advice for wherever you are in your WIP.)

2. Be CreativE

   Sometimes you just need to simulate your creative side, so grab a pencil and paper and do some writing exercises. Try using a writing prompt to write a new scene that might work in your WIP. It could end up in your manuscript, or at the very least, you discover a nugget or two that work elsewhere. Another great exercise is to interview your protagonist, secondary characters, antagonist, and journal their answers. The goal is to learn as much as you can about their personalities and how they act, so you can hone their voices and make them relatable.

3. Analyze it

   Go back to your story premise and your outline. And if you’re a pantser and don’t have an outline, it’s time to create one. Now that you’ve written part of your story, does the outline still hold up? Does your plot support your story premise? Does each plot point connect to the next plot point and propel the story forward? Revise your outline as needed, paying close attention to the middle events (see next tip). 

4. Start in the middle

   I’ve saved the best tip for last: Start plotting your story from the middle. How does starting in the middle make sense? It’s called the “mirror moment.” All stories have a pivotal scene where the protagonist “looks in the mirror,” or reflects, on who they are versus who they must become to achieve their goal. This is the big revelation that jolts your character from being reactive to taking action. Think of the middle as an ending of their old self, and a beginning of the person they will become by the end of the story.

Conclusion

If you can’t avoid the mud, then it’s time to change your attitude about the muddy middle. Slide around in the mud if you have to, but you know that your story can’t exist without a beginning, a middle, and an end. The middle is the fulcrum where big changes happen. Embrace it. Use the above tips to slog your way through it. Your character and plot will thank you.  

So, enjoy the muddy middle for what it is – the best part of the story! Write on!

I wish you all the best in this creative journey! Join us at Good Story Learning for endless resources and a writing community at your fingertips.