The Middle's The Rub

[zanzjan]

I've finished revising what I've written so far on Miledrop, and have hopefully fixed the character balance problems by having one minor character swap for a more expendable one and a medium-level character have a reason to be elsewhere. At 23500 words the middle of this thing is still on the distant horizon but approaching at pace. Middles always make me nervous.

Thus, I post to you an old poem of mine:

The Middle's The Rub
by Suzanne Palmer, 2006

I've written a novel, it's all I could want
Nine hundred pages and a very small font.

I've got rogues and ruffians and characters new
And imaginary friends from when I was two.

The first fifty pages are rousing indeed
As my Hero discovers his Call to the Deed

The last fifty pages are equally spry
When at last is revealed the who and the why.

Though utterly brilliant, there's one flaw I see--
I can't figure out what the middle should be...

It needs bold adventure, suspense and gore
And plotterly intrigue all sure not to bore

Gold should be found, and loves will be lost!
And fierce battles won at very great cost

But my muse has fled early, abandoning me
With no way to get from point A to point Z

I sit at my screen and I think how to write it
But nothing comes, through I try not to fight it

Eight hundred blank pages, staring at me
As I pound and I pound the delete-it-all key

Beginnings are easy, endings are too,
But the middles are brutal. How so for you?