No internet. Only sleep.

[dhampyresa]

My internet access currently works on a "if the wind is right and the tide is high" basis. So I have been napping more than usual and also reading. On occasions I get to pet the neighbourhood cat.

Anyway. I thought I could use the time to figure out how the middle third of this story is supposed to go but as always I am stuck on the middle-y bits. Does anyone have any advice? Like in general.

Comments

[yhlee]

various suggestions, some of which may or may not be helpful depending on how you are wired

- some people benefit from going and doing something else and giving the thing they're stuck on a rest. For me, my "brainstorming" activity is washing the dishes, I shit you not. If I get really stuck, I take a break and do the dishes, and sometimes this unsticks me.

- some people benefit from talking out their thoughts when they get stuck - if you have a chat partner (Discord, Gchat, whatever) that you can talk to about your story, that might be one thing to try. I know a writer who basically talks out his entire plots this way when he can.

- some people need to have their ideas for middles (or whatever) sparked by external stimuli, whether that's interesting pictures, watching TV for plot ideas, or reading inspiring books. If you're this kind of writer, you'll probably know what the "sparking" activities are for yourself.

- some people benefit from just sitting down and logicking their way from A to B to C to D in linear order. I'm not one of these people, but my husband is and when he does this it looks like magic to me.

- some people benefit by writing scenes nonlinearly and jumping around in the timeline. (This is me sometimes.)

- some people benefit from a steady routine to make the words come.

- other people need to change up the routine or even their writing media (e.g. changing what app you're writing in, your physical surroundings, etc.)

- some people benefit from brainstorming tools like mind maps or writing things out on real/virtual index cards and shuffling them into place.

Hope something in here helps you!

[dhampyresa]

Thank you so much! I will try these

[sovay]

My internet access currently works on a "if the wind is right and the tide is high" basis.

Wind and tide willing, I'm glad to hear from you!

Have you written the parts after the middle-y bits or do you need to write your way to them? I ask because I am a mostly nonlinear writer, which may mean that my general advice is not useful.

[dhampyresa]

I am always glad to hear from you as well <3

I haven't written the ending but I know all the beats of the last third. I know how my dominoes fall, I just don't know how/in what order to set them up. If that makes sense.

I would love any advice you have.

[sovay]

I know how my dominoes fall, I just don't know how/in what order to set them up. If that makes sense.

That does make sense. Even if it feels like a mechanical exercise, can you work backward to figure out what the setup needs to look like? Then at least you have some fixed points to work between, and if necessary you can work your way between those to fine-tune the action. I realize this sounds like it will end up as Zeno's paradox, but hopefully at some point it will start to sound like fun to write the linking conversation or action scene or shocking betrayal.

[dhampyresa]

That's good advice, thank you.

[sovay]

That's good advice, thank you.

You're welcome! Good luck.

[china_shop]

My internet access currently works on a "if the wind is right and the tide is high" basis.

Oof! That sounds highly frustrating. I hope your downtime is refreshing to make up for it. <3

[dhampyresa]

Refreshing? In this heat wave? :p

It is very relaxing, though

[schneefink]

*fistbump of frustrated my-internet-connection-sucks solidarity*
Naps and reading and cat-petting are all good though :)

As someone who hasn't written a long story in, uh, ever, I think?, I don't think I'm qualified to give advice; but my first thought was "keep in mind what you need for the endgame if you know it, and then try/brainstorm sticking some more fun tropes in the middle to see if that sparks anything."

[dhampyresa]

Fist bump!

Thank you <3

[corvidology]

I'm sorry about your internet connection.

As to middle-y bits, sometimes it can help to make a list of the state of things in your story's beginning and then tie each point to a list of the state of things at the end of your story. Then you can take note across each arrow of what's going to have to happen to get from A to B. That's the outline of your middle-y bits.

[dhampyresa]

Hm, when you put it like that I guess my issue is less "what's in the middley bit" but more "how do I make it interesting". Progress?