My story is broken in the middle

[pjthompson]

Not the WIP.  I think I fixed that.  Only time will tell.

No, it’s one of my short stories that’s broken in the middle.  And I don’t know how to fix it.  I’ve rewritten it ever so many times and every time I think, “Okay, I think that’s got it.”  I let it go, send it out into the world again to garner more rejections.  Then after many months (sometimes many, many months) I read it again and I think, “Dang.  It’s still broken in the middle.”

The beginning is good, the ending is good, I’m very fond of this story, but I know in my heart of hearts why it keeps garnering rejections.  There’s a clear drop off point in the middle where the opening momentum collapses and the oomph doesn’t pick up again until the closing pages.

But I don’t know how to fix it.  And it makes me very sad.

I seem to always have trouble with middles.  I can grab with openings, I can satisfy with endings (if anyone reads past the middle to find out about the endings), but middles slay me every time.  Sometimes I can figure out how to make them work, and sometimes I can’t.

Dang.

Mirrored from Better Than Dead.

Comments

[eclectic-writer.livejournal.com]

Would you like some help? The Great Swampy Middle sucks indeedly, maybe do away with it entirely?

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking along those lines myself. It doesn't suck, per se, but it's bridging material, and I suspect it's a bridge to nowhere. It may not go with the rest of the story and probably should be cut.

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

How long is it? Could it be that the middle isn't quite as necessary as you currently have it?

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

It's 5200 words. As I said above, I've been thinking that perhaps I should cut that section and find some other way to bridge between beginning and end.

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

I have a rule, and the rule says if I struggle with a scene for three days running, it means one of two things--I'm in the wrong POV, or the wrong place. It's always one or the other. Good luck with this! You'll find the way through.

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

That's a good rule of thumb. I usually flail around much longer but wind up coming to the same conclusion. :-/

[bogwitch64.livejournal.com]

I used to flail longer, and often stubbornly didn't see my error. But three's the charm, don't you know. It really is. :)

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

Yes. I've at least wised up to the fact that flailing = a wrong turn somewhere.

[geniusofevil.livejournal.com]

fucking saggy middles!

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

Yep, they suck.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

You know where to send it if you want an opinion on it...

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

Very kind! It's Eudora's Song, which I think you've read a few times already. Wouldn't feel right inflicting it on you again. :-D

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Your call. :-)

[pjthompson.livejournal.com]

Very kind, but I think I'll spare you this time. :-)