Saggy Middle Syndrome in Novels

Saggy Middle Syndrome is so common in novels that it often goes by the acronym SMS. Other names for it include "the muddle in the middle" or the "midpoint lull."

Many books have a saggy middle and it's hard to avoid. The solution is to try to make your midpoint as exciting as possible. There should be a mini-climax at the midpoint, where the hero then fails again, hopefully learning something important from the setback (which is used to save the world at the end). In a romance, there should be the "midpoint intensification" where the romantic couple seem about to consummate their tension, but shortly followed by the "midpoint reversal" where some bigger obstacles prevent their romantic union (until the very end).

There's a school of thought that a saggy middle is somewhat unavoidable. The plot sequences following an anticlimax are inherently less exciting than the buildup to one. It's always a bit of a lull. And if your romance is, for example, an enemies-to-lovers trope, then the midpoint is where the couple have stopped fighting so much, but aren't in love yet either. Boring!

In the broader structure of a book, having some slower-paced scenes isn't that problematic if they don't drag on. More important is to open strongly with early action in the start of the novel, and finish with a very satisfying wrap-up of everything at the end. These things are certainly more important than the middle. Squeeze the middle from both ends, and don't be shy in cutting or merging sagging scenes in between. So it's okay to have a middle muddle, but don't make it too long!