I envy writers who can sit down and write a story all the way through. And no, an outline wouldn't help me. I don't want to simply pad my story to up my word count --- I want the words to matter -- but it's that mushy middle.......
If I wrote Act I, Act II, then Act III, my novel would barely encompass a short story. I struggle with adding enough meat and the right meat.
Although I've managed to complete two novels, this is the one that counts. Trying to incorporate all I've learned through study is akin to juggling nine balls in the air.
At this writing I've identified scenes that need to be fleshed out. I have a document called "New Additions" in which I scribble lines and then look for a place to insert them, but I inevitably find distractions (or unconsciously look for distractions) -- research, an appropriate name for a shrub for west-facing houses; stupid inconsequential things; ways to avoid facing my dilemma.
Tomorrow I will sit myself down and force myself to read through my preliminary draft. Then maybe I'll zero in on the problems. I feel like I'm at a standstill with no path forward. I seem to spend three hours writing a couple of sentences.
If you've faced the mushy middle, drop me a comment and let me know how you overcame it.
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