The Middle Bit

Writers often talk about their favourite part of the book. Many love the opening, the rush of a new idea that they can't get down on paper (or computer) quickly enough as it builds into a story. Others love the ending, the moving confession of love, the delightful Awwww factor that brings tears and smiles to a reader's eyes. Not so many are enraptured with the middle bit. If they've torn through the early chapters in a euphoric rush of discovery, then this is where is grinds to a halt. Mutterings of "what was I thinking? this isn't a book, this is a rubbish tip!" can be heard.

Me, I hate the opening chapters. I know what has to happen, but I haven't yet found the characters' voices. Usually they're hiding stuff from each other and from me and there's all this emotion (angst, anger, wariness, bitterness, frustration, whatever) to convey. Along with description of said characters and setting and timeframe. Combine that with the need to include all the necessary backstory without boring info dumps and I'm muttering...well, never mind what. Let's just say it's not pretty.

I'm also not a fan of endings. Not just the absolute ending, where I struggle with the line between a touching romantic scene and schmaltz, but the transition scenes between the big black moment (the disaster or climax where everything goes to hell in a handbasket) and the resolution. The part where the characters have to get over the conflict and do so in a way that convinces the reader they're not complete prats for not realizing sooner, and that their love will endure the next major crisis.

Which leads me with the middle, which I love because the characters finally start to talk to each other. Love writing these scenes, the ones where the early dynamic between them changes. They see possibilities that weren't there before. Respect builds alongside the sensual tension and there are smiles for the characters and for the author!

That's where I'm up to the moment in my manuscript. The joyous lovely stage where I adore my job. And where Donovan, finally, gets to smile.