In the past weeks, I have posted tips on crafting the opening of your novel. I also had a post that generated much discussion on the ending of your novel. I saved the best (most troublesome) for last, the middle. Some will refer to this as ‘the muddle’.

This is the part of your novel where you must keep the tension going and keep your reader interested as you lead them from the opening to the conclusion. You have to make sure there is enough action, intrigue, or development (depending on your genre) without giving away too much information until it is necessary to do so.

So, what kinds of devices can you use to keep your plot going without stalling or hitting a wall? Here are some of them:

Foreshadowing:

Foreshadowing involves given an overt or subtle hint to what will be happening in the future chapters of the…