That I reached 50,000 words planted me square in the middle of my book, yes the dreaded middle.
Writing the middle of a novel presents as my greatest challenge. I do not want the story to sag or the plot to lose ground.
I want my novel to come alive in then middle like the middle‘s of the novels that I have loved reading and have inspired me as both a lover of the written word and a writer.
And so I when feeling tired, I stopped. Writing while tired makes for tired writing. I got that from my husband.
I do not fear stopping, or that I will not complete my novel because I have a plan.
Presently I am thinking.
The greatest gift of NaNoWriMo and what leaves me so excited in having participated is not that I reached 50,000 words, but what having reached the mark, and again with joy has indicated to me.
I learned what I need to write, and how to give that to myself. A plan, a blueprint, allows me to write with energy and rhythm and joy. It also allows me to maintain footing when life calls.
A plan gives me the option to stop, think and regroup.
What fuels your writing?
What allows you to write with joy and rhythm that matches the demands of your life?
I often skip over the middle and write the end of a piece and then go back. Then of course I have to change the end to make it fit with what I wrote for the middle but I find it easier to write the middle if I have something already written after it. I do find the middle the hardest part to write and to keep interesting. I think I have to work on this.
Good luck with your writing. I hope the plan works out.
I think the hardest part to write of any novel is the middle. However difficult the beginning and end, the middle presents the greatest challenge. This occurs I think because the middle is where everything begins to change, or rather the reality of change starts to set in and take root in the lives of our characters. As writers we have to show these changes through setting or at least our character’s perception of setting. Perhaps the setting actually changes. We must also reflect these changes and/or the awareness our characters hold of those changes through dialogue, inner thoughts, imagery, action, all that stuff.
It’s like pedaling a bicycle while juggling three balls.
It’s difficult.
Each writer must develop her or his way of managing these tasks–writing the bicycle and juggling the balls–writing the middle of their novel–showing the changes and evolutions that take place both externally in the physical realm and the psychologically/emotionally. And then we must connect the two aspects experienced and undergone by our characters.
And do it in a way that both entertains and engages our reader
It’s difficult.
It sounds like you’ve found your way of writing the middle. What an achievement.
Thanks so much for visiting and again taking the time to comment.