Crime Fiction and the Sagging Middle

gothicangel

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Okay, so I've reached 21,500 words of my book and its been pretty easy so far . . . until now and have hit one humongous road block. So yes, I'm definitely in the (saggy) middle.

The thing is, I know what the next plot point is going to be, I just don't know how to get my MC there, but I also don't want to lose the suspense/threat created by the antagonist either. On an interesting side note, I was watching a podcast of YouTube and the (published) author points out that the middle section is the 'meat' of the book (why readers are reading your book). Which is a problem for me, as I think I've seen it as an area to get MC from Point A to the juicy Point B (the ending).

Any advice on how to grease the cogs of my creative mind?
 

fenyo

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you can even try a few different way to write it, and to get from point a to point b or c. maybe the story will eventually take you to in a different way all together.

this it the time to experiment.
 

katfeete

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Have you considered writing something like “and then stuff happens” and skipping ahead to the next scene you’re sure of, then coming back and filling in the missing bits later?

YMMV, but I’ve found that when I force myself through a scene just to get characters from A to B, it’s not only a boring, insipid mess, but when I finally get to writing point B, it renders most of the A -> B journey invalid and I have to go back and throw it all out anyway. Whereas when I simply skip ahead and write B, I end up with a list of things that need to happen to get there and that insipid, boring journey scene suddenly grows a workable backbone.
 

seeleyjames

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It sounds like you're a pantser, someone who discovers the plot while writing. If you're successful at that, and many famous authors are, ignore the rest of my post. I tried pantsing and always got hungup right where you are.

A few basics: Act I, the first 1/4 of the book, is where your hero is forced into the adventure/events. When you cross into Act II, your hero should be a reluctant participant. In the very center of Act II, your hero should have something happen that makes him commit to solving the problem no matter what (in cop shows, this is where the cop is sent on leave for being over-the-top in the investigation and he/she pursues it on his/her own time). In Act III, something TERRIBLE happens that makes the hero say, Ima get those muthafuckas (this is where Darth Vader KILLS Obi-Wan, sending the audience into hysterics).

To get the above to work, I highly recommend reading STORY GRID by Shawn Coyne. It helps organize a story before you start without doing an outline. It helped me get better organized so I could outline accurately. By reading the first section on what he calls "Foolscap" or a one page overview of the hero's arc, you'll probably see where you need to go.

No, the middle is not a vehicle to get from Point A to Point B, it's a place where the hero gathers tools and friends/allies, then something force him/her to commit to solving the crime and you have all your foreshadowing in place.

Hope that helps.
 

talktidy

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Another vote for getting the bugger done, the hell with that saggy middle, let it sag away. Just write, until you can say The End.

Once you have a first draft, I would also advocate putting it aside for a few weeks. When you then come back to it, I believe you will have a clearer idea of it's shortcomings
 

ironmikezero

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A slow, sagging middle in any story runs the risk of diminished reader interest. In a crime novel, this is a good place for the protagonist to pursue a mildly foreshadowed red herring that ultimately proves to be somewhat unhelpful in solving the crime. I say somewhat unhelpful in the sense that, if done well, it does tend to point the MC in the right direction. The trick is in the vague foreshadowing; keep it obscure enough so that in retrospect it could have (and does) hint at the proper solution--it just wasn't properly interpreted at the time of initial discovery. This keeps the reader intrigued and involved.

In real world investigations it's just as important to corroborate/refute a lead that doesn't pan out as it is to follow the one that cinches the case.
 

wonderactivist

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Hi gothic,

As a professed pantser until the last act, I wanted to suggest the idea that you don't necessarily have to write the book in order. If you know the end, or if some other scene is coming to you, then write that scene. If not, consider which two characters are most important, then place them in a setting and write a scene. These things usually work themselves out with writing ... or research. Sometimes if I'm stuck, I do some research to inspire the next scene.

Best to you,
Lucie
 

cbenoi1

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What sort of "Crime Fiction" are you writing?

Detective aka Mystery - in which the Heroine is trying to find the criminal by way of discovering the truth? Ex: Columbo TV series.
Crime aka Suspense - in which the Heroine and the Villain are into a head-to-head fight of wits and/or fists over principles? Ex in movies: The Dark Knight, Heat, Now You See Me.
Thriller - in which the Villain or the crime is personal to the Heroine who is under threat of death? Ex in movies: Basic Instinct, Vertigo, Duel.

This will help see what is missing in your middle, brainstorm a few ideas.

-cb
 
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gothicangel

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I think this is the conclusion that I was coming to. I recently watched a podcast which talked about 'beats' (or plot turns) in thriller writing. I know what that is which occurs at about 50,000 words, so I think I will write that chapter and work backwards to where I've stopped writing in linear. Though, I'm writing an essay on Ancient Sparta right now, so will be a good student and do that first. :)
 

cbenoi1

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In a thriller, the who or the crime is not that important. It's the constant pressure on the Hero(ine) - the threat of death. There many deaths: physical (aka you die), emotional (losing love), financial (losing wealth), psychological (losing self-esteem, honor), etc. Better stories have more than one of those at the same time. So the middle is about those attacks in various forms that confronts the Hero(ine) with his or her flaw. Solving the crime or escaping death solves the flaw.

Basic Instinct: he's a failed detective, recovering from sex and drug addiction; the main witness is a gorgeous woman who seemingly knows everything about him, even his most inner desires. The Hero is constantly balancing two things: she can be his true love, or she's the killer and he could end up dead too. Yes. No. Maybe. That's tension from start to end.

Watch the film again. Or read the script here: https://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Basic-Instinct.html

Hope this helps.

-cb