on Fiction University:

There are three different kinds of writers. Plotters tend to start with an outline of some kind and have a strong idea where they’re going to go before they even write the first word. Pantsers fly by the seat of their pants and follow the story wherever it may roam. And Plotsers are somewhere in-between – they have some stuff plotted out but are willing to follow plot bunnies down their rabbit holes mid-stream.

Whatever type of writer you are, most of us have found ourselves in a position where we know how to start our story, we have an idea where we want the story to end, and somewhere in-between, we get lost in the muddy middle.

Sometimes, getting lost in the muddy middle can result in the infamous writer’s block. We don’t know where to go, so we stop until we can figure it out. I’m in that position with my latest WIP – despite having a somewhat fleshed-out plot clock, around the midpoint of the book, I lost it. Took a break. And now, my story is languishing because every time I open that file and look at the last lines I wrote, I have no idea where to go next.

Does that sound familiar?

If you’re where I am, or have ever been there, you may have been tempted to just shelve the book – not the right manuscript, right? – and work on something else. But I have some other ideas to share. Some tips on pushing through the mud and getting to the other side without having your manuscript stuck forever on your hard drive.