The middle bit

Writers are often filled with a sense of urgency to get something down. They may have done all the research, plotted, outlined, spoken to their characters, worked out the structure, whether it will be first or third person, everything that needs to be done.

But when a writer finally gets down to it, there is that ever so slight tremble in the fingertips as they rest on the keyboard to start the book.

Many writers, structured ones in particular, will say that the hard work is over. There will be no hesitating because they have the guideposts already set. They know what is going to happen, are familiar with the whole book. And, I have to say, they are right.

It's not my style and each author has their own way of doing things. Mine is just as exciting as a structured authors. I don't know what's going to happen, the characters do what they will within the bounds of their personalities. For example, a church-going virgin, will not suddenly break into curse words and screw anything on two legs; a soldier will not suddenly toss his gun away and start picking flowers - unless it is a part of their personalities and the story has led to this point. But I digress.

A writer, poised to start the great work. If everything is set, fingers will dance across the keyboard in perfect step to the thoughts, the plan, the ideas. A frenetic pace, perhaps, or measured, in beat with music only the writer can hear. For pages, the prose will flow, the muse will dance and the writer is filled with a sense of purpose, with excitement, with pleasure.

But then: The Middle.

Where every author knows, is a place that can be as dry as a desert or as impenetrable as a jungle. The right words dry up or are blocked. The story slows down, is choked with unfortunate passivity, where action is an emotion, a thought, an intention.

We all know the beginning of the end is coming up and we can't wait. We all know the surprises coming up, the stunning conclusion, the gobsmacking climax is a few chapters away, but we must wade through The Middle. Have a place from which to set up the incredible, original, amazing End.

To get there, we must scale mountains, plumb the depths of our creativity, bash through The Middle.

I'm currently bashing away at that Middle. Eighty-five thousand words later, and I'm up to my waist in emotional, psychological and worrisome Middle. It's not something that 'will pass'. I have to fight for each paragraph, for each sentence, for every, single damn word. It doesn't have to be perfect, I can edit later, but the ideas, the form, what I'm trying to say must be right, or I'll not know what I meant to say.

I could throw myself upon the mercy of structured writing. Beg forgiveness from the muse of convention, plead for the demon Freewriter to let me go. But I won't.

Part of being a writer is the constant learning curve. For every writer, no matter what they write, writing is an ongoing learning experience, be it creative or not. This is part of what being a writer means: to push further than you think you can. To grow, to experience, to understand and to feel accomplished when you've discovered something new about yourself and your writing.

Middles: the most challenging of all, and the most rewarding.

To quote best-selling author, Holly Lisle: Writing. It's one damn word after another.

And that's how you get through the dreaded Middle.