4 Tips to Overcome the Saggy Middle

‘The saggy middle’. Not a very attractive term.  

What does it mean, however?  

We could say that, broadly, the centre of a narrative should mark the zenith of its arc – and therefore, it is the pivotal point of the story. If your book loses momentum around this point, that’s problematic.  

So how do you avoid the dreaded saggy middle? Here are some ideas to implement.  

1. Consider a twist at the mid-point 

This will inject your plot with energy and propel the text on.  

Might one of your protagonist’s friends or allies betray them, offering new interest and prompting the reader to reconsider assumptions they’ve made?  

Conversely, someone the reader had thought was a villain may turn out to be something else. Perhaps they are more subtle, more intriguing, than they first seemed? Maybe that villain is wrestling with their own conflict, or fulfilling a role forced upon them.  

Thinking more about assumptions, could you offer something subversive here? Maybe a character readers have assumed to be truthful has been lying throughout the story so far. Or is your narrator less dependable than they seemed?  

What happens need not be a cataclysm; it could just be a series of hints to unsettle and intrigue your reader. All these things may come earlier or later in your novel – but do consider them here and see if they ignite your book. 

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2. Up the stakes  

Often, a saggy middle comes from a lack of increase in stakes. What are the consequences if your protagonist succeeds or fails in their mission? What if it looks as though they might not answer the questions you posed earlier in the book? You could make the need to solve a problem more urgent, or introduce an additional element of danger or risk. You could add a setback or two. 

We don’t want your protagonist to arrive too smoothly at their destination. Do elements of the plot fall into place too neatly? In that case, the book might struggle to keep momentum as it moves towards its climax.  

Adding a setback, or a series of setbacks, around the halfway point is an effective way to keep the book alive. By creating new jeopardy and complexity, you’ll lead the reader on, making them wonder how the protagonist is going to recover. This is a terrific technique because wanting to know the answers to questions is instinctual in all of us – particularly when the questions are thorny!  

Added to this is the question of whether your protagonist’s (and other characters’) emotional arcs need to be more expansive. Have you tied their development closely enough to the setbacks they’re experiencing? Consider whether more is needed to develop and build to sustain the fascination of your reader with your characters from this point. 

3. Add more action 

Does your novel need more action at this stage? How might you add drama and tension?  

The action need not be physical – it can take many forms, depending on genre, plot and your readership. Consider an argument, where long-held resentments come to the surface; or perhaps a revelation that leaves one or more characters reeling. Whatever happens, will it open the way to further engaging twists, setbacks, and developments? Will it make your reader keep turning the page?  

4. Experiment with editing 

Just how badly is your book’s middle sagging? Is it time to make some cuts? 

Read the text aloud. Are you bored? If so, that’s a sign some trimming is needed. I have found that when a writer doesn’t know how to get from one point to another, their text may be mired in unnecessary dialogue, small events which do nothing to advance the plot (however lovely the language) or an efflorescence of detail that just grounds the book.  

Sometimes writers tell me they need to include lots of detail at this point because it is immersive for the reader. But the opposite can be true: it can be a drag factor. It might be that you are actively creating a saggy middle!  

In general, your reader needs less detail than you do – so consider whether there is just too much here. It can be a painful process, but it is part of authoring a book. Being tough on yourself here is excellent training, too – not least because edits are part of the process of bringing a novel to market.  

Bonus tip: if you do decide to trim your text, remember to keep any content you remove from your manuscript in a separate, clearly labelled, dated document. You never know – you may want to add it back in later, or even place it somewhere else in the text.   

Hopefully, these ideas are useful for you. Above all, please know that saggy middles are a common problem – and definitely something you can fix!