tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post680018961720121493..comments2024-03-28T03:02:16.508-04:00Comments on Author, Jody Hedlund: 10 Ways to Avoid Mid-Book DoldrumsJody Hedlundhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-42176585576082024592012-12-23T20:31:00.329-05:002012-12-23T20:31:00.329-05:00This is a great post! Thanks! heehee what do I do?...This is a great post! Thanks! heehee what do I do? I take a break and look up sites like this. and yes I have a terrible time finishing books too... Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02735408898805201533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-76082578591178085082011-06-17T14:47:36.623-04:002011-06-17T14:47:36.623-04:00Fantastic post, Jody! I also have several lonely b...Fantastic post, Jody! I also have several lonely books just waiting to be finished. And I admit, as a writer I'm always wondering how to avoid that mid-book brick wall. I'm currently reading Charlaine Harris's 'Dead Reckoning' and studying her technique as I go. I often do this with books I'm enjoying to see what's working for that particular author and why, as a reader, I can't stop, well, reading! :) I'm sure other writers employ this technique as well. I, for one, find it indispensable. Again, thanks for the insightful post!<br />-BrandyBrandyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06869267605808642199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-40042641055183304342011-06-17T00:05:48.657-04:002011-06-17T00:05:48.657-04:00You're so right, Jody! Those mid-book slumps l...You're so right, Jody! Those mid-book slumps lose me. I feel so guilty when I don't finish a novel but time is too short to dwell on stories that don't captivate me at the start and transport me through to the end. One thing that disrupts my reading is the ripple effect -- a series of conflicts that don't overlap but instead, rise, crest and fall, each as a separate entity, allowing the story to stall between them. For me it's almost as bad as the dreaded sagging middle. I like conflict to build through a series of overlapping crises, smaller ones threading through bigger ones, all working steadily to a crescendo. Achieving that in my own writing is a challenge. I'm going to keep your list handy. :)Carol J. Garvinhttp://careann.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-12577889278526895052011-06-16T20:02:09.639-04:002011-06-16T20:02:09.639-04:00This is great advice. I've been doing a bunch ...This is great advice. I've been doing a bunch of reading this summer (trying to read 24 romances in 3 months) and it becomes very obvious very quickly which stories I know I won't be able to put down and which ones will cause me trouble. Then again, we all know from our own writing, that this is all easier said than done. Thanks again.<br /><br /><# Gina BlechmanG Blechmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16707186693109337726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-66231113201675465762011-06-16T18:04:34.347-04:002011-06-16T18:04:34.347-04:00The thing that stops me from finishing a book is t...The thing that stops me from finishing a book is that 1) it starts with backstory, and 2) Nothing pulls me from chapter to chapter. When I write, I try to end each chapter with a question that will be answered in the next chapter. Sometimes it's as simple as a strategic chapter break. <br /><br />Honestly, there is no rule that says you have to finish a book just because you started it. So many books - so little time. Read the good ones!Karen Fisher-Alanizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03965274282794735808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-72835046075132747242011-06-16T15:24:16.242-04:002011-06-16T15:24:16.242-04:00I made a copy of this. It's right where I am t...I made a copy of this. It's right where I am today . . . Thanks! <br /><br />I'm an English teacher, so I've read "literary" novels that were beautifully written--but nothing happens in them! So how is that different from sermonizing--which folks always accuse authors in the CBA market of doing? . . . I also, don't like too many pages of introspection in any genre. I like to see a character rise above his fears to sacrifice for someone else, risk his life, etc. Let him show me by his actions what's going on inside him!Reneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06177523368064618185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-49879702893975322792011-06-16T14:55:06.227-04:002011-06-16T14:55:06.227-04:00I don't have any tips, but I loved your list a...I don't have any tips, but I loved your list and have bookmarked it to read again and again. Great tips, Jodi! Thanks.Elizabeth Varadan, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01708206753256682635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-59679421512395292662011-06-16T12:26:18.416-04:002011-06-16T12:26:18.416-04:00It's actually stunning how often I can encount...It's actually stunning how often I can encounter this situation in new stories that I pick up. Somewhere along the way the author lost sight of their path and took a long walk in the woods instead of following the trail. The stories can still be great but the piece just isn't there to keep my interest.<br />A narrative is a roller coaster and if you keep it on the rails you'll keep the readers in the cart.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01046515540256155412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-76499491421195929992011-06-16T12:20:48.510-04:002011-06-16T12:20:48.510-04:00These are all really great ideas. As you said just...These are all really great ideas. As you said just a few posts ago, the first page hooks the reader for this book and the last page sells the next book... unless the reader stalls out in the middle and never gets to the last page. You've outlined some practical and useful ways to keep the story moving towards the big climax. Thanks!Jen J. Dannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00817943866838270699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-23550096855268248522011-06-16T12:16:25.038-04:002011-06-16T12:16:25.038-04:00Nice post and great advice, as always.Nice post and great advice, as always.Jamie McHenryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17844129434598954840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-81023607250725984762011-06-16T11:33:04.070-04:002011-06-16T11:33:04.070-04:00I usually read books in one day, sometimes even on...I usually read books in one day, sometimes even one sitting. Even when books start getting drab, I usually try to finish them. Reading the whole book helps me get a full picture for what lost me.<br /><br />Most of the time, if I'm going to put a book down, it'll be in the first few pages.<br /><br />But then, some books, like <em>Battlefield: Earth</em> and <em>The Vampire Lestat</em> contain a character that I loathe to the point that I can't bear to continue. I try to press on—my brother told me that the despised character died soon after the point I stopped in <em>Battlefield: Earth</em>—but even knowing that, I've not been able to get myself to continue.Carradeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05431561739001270522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-50202356276066614312011-06-16T11:19:27.017-04:002011-06-16T11:19:27.017-04:00Jody, these are such great tips. On the book I...Jody, these are such great tips. On the book I'm revising right now, one of my critique partners said I wrapped problems up too quickly. I'm in the process of skewering my main character's life.Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-77436272610965509142011-06-16T09:21:01.787-04:002011-06-16T09:21:01.787-04:00Just what I needed to hear today. I'm about 1/...Just what I needed to hear today. I'm about 1/2 way through my rough draft. Thanks for the encouragement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-63688308048155607842011-06-16T01:33:12.781-04:002011-06-16T01:33:12.781-04:00Jody, I have your same problem! In fact, I've ...Jody, I have your same problem! In fact, I've been frustrated by this situation myself (and ECSTATIC when I find a book that grabs me in a way that makes me not want to read anything else). Unfortunately, this does not happen often.<br /><br />Thanks for the great tips on how to avoid this in our own novels!Lorenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17848249911635132594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-13005590950173702012011-06-15T22:11:26.741-04:002011-06-15T22:11:26.741-04:00Thanks for the post Jody. You gave me a lot to thi...Thanks for the post Jody. You gave me a lot to think about.<br /><br />I'm the odd reader I guess. I always finish what I start. I feel like I owe it to the author who put so much work into it. I don't always like what I read, but I always finish it.Angela Cothranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09243582290698922119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-23491269099401793792011-06-15T21:59:02.954-04:002011-06-15T21:59:02.954-04:00Hi Becky! I did appreciate that link! The article ...Hi Becky! I did appreciate that link! The article had some good thoughts about comments! Thanks for sharing it! :-)<br /><br />I'm impressed you started War & Peace! That IS a tough one, especially as a sleep-deprived mom with a newborn!Jody Hedlundhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12424307540530719614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-59760552878848047382011-06-15T20:53:06.615-04:002011-06-15T20:53:06.615-04:00Thank you for the great post! I hope the Cat's...Thank you for the great post! I hope the Cat's Eye Writer link I sent you via Twitter was helpful re: comments.<br /><br />It takes a lot for me to completely discard a book. The last was War and Peace--I began reading it when my son was a newborn. The ideas and language were far too dense for my sleep-deprived brain to digest!<br /><br />When I do become mired, usually I am not invested in the characters (as commenters mentioned), the writer indulges in paragraph upon paragraph of detail (very Dickensian, but I expect it in Dickens's books), or the plot and language do not challenge me. If I know what will happen or the author does not try to add twists, I feel a bit offended and do not want to continue on (fearing I will do this stymies me as a writer sometimes).<br /><br />That said, sometimes the most insipid trash will hold my interest if I have not read in awhile:) <br /><br />Best,<br />BeckyRebekah Benson-Flanneryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17899029455228380207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-247935427411053112011-06-15T19:32:17.038-04:002011-06-15T19:32:17.038-04:00I'm a patient reader, but sometimes, sometimes...I'm a patient reader, but sometimes, sometimes, a book just loses me, and I have no incentive to finish. Usually, lack of good characterization and tedious writing shut me down. A few literary/women's fiction authors are hitting me hard lately w/ these rabbit trails that have nothing to do w/ anything. And I yawn and say forget it.<br /><br />You are a mean, mean writer, Jody. To your characters, at least. Making them suffer so. ;)Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05536293384635588296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-65078890510621527592011-06-15T15:52:10.569-04:002011-06-15T15:52:10.569-04:00Great list!
I add on mine, "Keep myself ent...Great list! <br /><br />I add on mine, "Keep myself enthused about the story." There's nothing like my disinterest to add flatness to the storyline.Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02499029364189331107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-63270408653721270302011-06-15T13:33:49.272-04:002011-06-15T13:33:49.272-04:00I totally know what you mean! There have been sev...I totally know what you mean! There have been several books that I've experienced that with. In my writing (an epic fantasy) I try to switch up character POV every third chapter so there's something or someone new bringing another perspective to the story. It also keeps me on my toes as a writer too!M. McGriffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14329175109358005355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-76517481815993155092011-06-15T13:17:36.684-04:002011-06-15T13:17:36.684-04:00Part of my problem is that I have much less time t...Part of my problem is that I have much less time to read now than I did even a few years ago. I had the patience to give a book more than 100 pages because I didn't have more pressing things to do. <br /><br />But now? My time is extremely limited. Only a book with the items you mentioned will keep me going!Jill Kemererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07865493609868329393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-32941565066542595982011-06-15T13:04:05.726-04:002011-06-15T13:04:05.726-04:00Love your list! I particularly liked the layering ...Love your list! I particularly liked the layering the plot suggestion. I've heard it before, but for some reason, that visual just made it very clear for me.Marji Laine - Faith Driven Fictionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08863807987324920493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-60104193258110845242011-06-15T12:53:13.760-04:002011-06-15T12:53:13.760-04:00Great post, Jody! I'm printing it out to keep ...Great post, Jody! I'm printing it out to keep beside me as I plot my first novel.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />JanJan Christiansenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16578696706386613012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-20707599665026358352011-06-15T11:33:45.813-04:002011-06-15T11:33:45.813-04:00Great advice. I'm starring this for reference....Great advice. I'm starring this for reference. :)<br /><br />Just to respond to your side comment about writer's reading hang-ups, it's good to know I'm not alone. Sometimes I've got to find grace for the author instead of thinking, "Gosh, attack of the -ly adverbs much?" :DBrandy Heinemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15724852465992313361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539581256374625880.post-87061934731786485332011-06-15T11:07:18.219-04:002011-06-15T11:07:18.219-04:00I use what I call episodic writing. Each chapter ...I use what I call episodic writing. Each chapter ends with a revelation or cliffhanger of some sort that will(hopefully)make readers carry on reading.C L Marshnoreply@blogger.com