12 June 2026·3 min read
When the middle of your novel drags
Before cutting a slow middle, look at what each chapter leaves the reader wondering.
List your chapters in one line each. Beside each one, note what remains unresolved at the end.
If several chapters settle everything they introduce, the story may feel like a series of separate episodes. Look for a consequence or question that carries from one chapter into the next.
Look at what changes
A story can be busy without moving very far. A character is threatened, escapes and faces much the same threat again.
After each chapter, ask what’s different. Perhaps someone has made a commitment, lost an option or learned something that changes their plans. If very little changes across several chapters, that’s a useful place to start revising.
Try leaving a scene out
In a copy of the draft, set aside a scene you’re unsure about and read across the gap.
Notice what you miss. If the story still works, the scene may be cut or shortened. If something important has gone, you’ve learned more about the job that scene needs to do.
Read more
These books explore the ideas in more detail, with examples you can try in your own work.
Stein on Writing · Sol Stein
Practical guidance on revision, with exercises to try on a draft.
Writing the Breakout Novel · Donald Maass
An agent’s perspective on character, stakes and what keeps a story moving.
The Anatomy of Story · John Truby
An approach to structure through character, conflict and the ideas a story explores.
Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure · James Scott Bell
Practical ways to examine plot and structure when a draft feels stuck.
For feedback on your own draft, Karlove offers a letter with examples from your pages, reviewed by Aksel before it's sent.
Stuck on your own draft?
Reads are free during the test phase. No card needed.