Writing Excuses 21.13: Does The Middle Have To Be Soggy?
Mar 29, 2026
They dig into why middles lose momentum: unclear character actions, thin obstacles, and repetitive scenes. They talk about using “same but different” to keep repeats fresh and letting major events happen earlier so consequences can unfold. They cover shifting which story element drives a scene and making side quests actually change characters or the world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Middle Is Most Of The Story
- Middles contain most of a story's events and require clear forward action to avoid feeling soggy.
- DongWon Song warns sag happens when it's unclear what characters are actually doing, e.g., walking A to B without engaging stakes.
Give Characters Active Verbs
- Avoid boring or aimless middle actions by giving characters specific, interesting verbs that advance plot.
- DongWon Song advises replacing passive travel or endless meetings with tangible actions (fight, negotiate, steal) tied to stakes.
Stalling Feels Like Artificial Delay
- Writers often stall the story to save a big event for later, creating artificial hurdles readers see through.
- Mary Robinette Kowal calls out obvious stalling beats that could be easily surmounted but exist to delay payoff.
