“The saggy middle is where amateurs quit and professionals get creative. You’re not stuck—you’re at the part that separates ‘I started a book’ from ‘I finished one.’”
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
The middle of your story is where the romance phase of writing ends and the commitment phase begins. The beginning was thrilling. The ending is exciting to imagine. But the MIDDLE? The middle is Tuesday. The middle is that stretch of highway with no exits and nothing but flat road for miles.
But here’s the secret: the middle is where your story actually becomes a story. It’s where characters transform, stakes escalate, and themes deepen. Without a strong middle, your beginning is just a promise and your ending is just a surprise.
The Saggy Middle Emergency Toolkit
| Problem | Emergency Fix |
| Nothing is happening. | Add a midpoint twist that changes everything the character thought they knew. |
| Characters are spinning their wheels. | Give them a new obstacle that forces a difficult choice. |
| Subplots feel disconnected. | Collide two subplots together. Let them complicate each other. |
| You (the writer) are bored. | Skip to the scene you’re excited about. Write out of order. |
| Pacing is glacial. | Cut any scene that doesn’t advance plot OR develop character. No exceptions. |
| The stakes feel low. | Raise them. Take something away from the protagonist that they can’t get back. |
Midpoint Magic Tricks
- The False Victory. At the midpoint, give your character a WIN—then snatch it away. The fall hits harder after a peak.
- The Revelation. Reveal information that reframes everything the character (and reader) thought was true.
- The Point of No Return. Force a commitment. The character can’t go back to their old life. Forward is the only option.
- The Ticking Clock. Introduce urgency. A deadline, a countdown, a window closing. Urgency cures saggy middles.
- The Betrayal. Someone the character trusts turns. Nothing destabilizes a story (in a good way) like a broken alliance.
Your Move, Creative
If you’re in the saggy middle, answer this: what’s the WORST thing that could happen to your protagonist right now? Write that scene. The middle was waiting for it.
Stop letting your stories stay stuck.
