WIP – Mid Novel Doldrums

I spent some time this weekend adjusting my outline for the next four chapters. I need to do it all again in a few weeks to stay on course. Outlines are living documents that change as you write your novel. The basic structure is often set in stone, but the details are fluid and can vary wildly.

I’ve been kind of writing without much luster or joy for the paste couple of weeks. I felt disinterested in the story and eventually the writing quality followed. I needed a shot in the arm of adrenaline. I needed longer than ten minutes to think about chapters and scenes and string them together so that I moved the story forward. It was a bad case of the mid-novel doldrums.

I’m entering the middle portion of the novel and usually this is the hardest part to write. Especially if your novel is not as gonzo or exciting as previous ones. The story is good, there is tension and conflict but it’s more subtle and mental than the other two books. But that’s as it should be. I’m writing about the conclusion of a great war. By definition that requires less blowing stuff up and more contemplating abut why things were getting blown up so much in the past.

In the next few weeks I will be moving into the third act where the big reveal happens and conflicts are resolved or maybe not resolved. If I can just slug my way through these slower chapters, things will get easier and more interesting to write. Wish me luck!