The Maddening Middle

Many writers find it relatively easy to develop detailed beginnings for their story, and detailed endings—but they struggle with the middle portion of the novel. Beginnings are exciting because of the “blank page” effect—you have total freedom to invent characters and plot elements, build worlds, and imagine clever twists. Endings can be exciting because you get to write the big climactic encounters and pay off twists you set up in the beginning.  The middle, though, is often just a huge question mark. How do you get from the exciting setup to the exciting ending? We’ll discuss how to come up with B through Y when you have A and Z figured out.

This is an OnDemand webinar.

Instructor:

Jeff Somers' (www.jeffreysomers.com) published over thirty short stories as well; his story “Sift, Almost Invisible, Through” appeared in the anthology Crimes by Moonlight, published by Berkley Hardcover and edited by Charlaine Harris and his story “Ringing the Changes” was selected for Best American Mystery Stories 2006. He survives on the nickels and quarters he regularly finds behind his ears, his guitar playing is a plague upon his household, and his lovely wife The Duchess is convinced he would wither and die if left to his own devices, but this is only half true.

Today, he makes beer money by writing amazing things for various people. Favorite whiskey: Glenmorangie 10 Year. Yes, it is acceptable to pay me in it.