Giving Birth

Don't worry, this post won't involve any gross descriptions. The title is figurative only.

I've finished both chapter 13 and chapter 14. I'm way past the half-way point of the story. I'd say about roughly 2/3 finished the storyline. The events of the storyline from this point until the end will be fairly fast-paced, so it wouldn't surprise me if I get caught up and write like a maniac until I have a complete manuscript. Nope, wouldn't surprise me at all.

Chapter 14 was a major turning point in the story. Finally getting to this point was like giving birth after being 10 months pregnant. A huge relief to say the least. What's also interesting to me, is I've done enough research at this point that I seriously doubt anymore research will be needed to finish writing the rest of the story. All pieces have been created, it's just a matter of putting it all together now.

Getting past the gooey, indescribable middle (10 months pregnant) part is a job within itself. I've seen numerous aspiring writers describe their woes over how to write that middle bridge to connect the rest of the story. The short, slightly patronizing answer is to just not have a middle bridge.

Easier said than done.

The slightly longer answer that involves more work is practice, practice, practice. That has been the only way to get to the point where the gooey middle part doesn't confound me anymore. With enough practice, at most that middle bridge might give me pause, but it won't stop my writing dead in it's tracks like it would have back in 2002 when I first started writing.

Outlines help, too. I've noticed when I write outlines there isn't a middle bridge because it all flows naturally. So yes, it is true the answer is to just not have a middle bridge. But the long answer is to practice enough until you get to the point that a middle bridge goes unnoticed to the author. It just happens. The story flows from beginning to end. The End.

And now, I need to write the ending, or rather, the 1/3 part of the story...