Plot Droop

I’ve been making good progress with this current draft, romping along at a cracking pace up until last night when I suddenly ran out of steam. I’ve used up all my plot points, character conflicts and even run out of red herrings and dead bodies.

It's official. I think I’m suffering from a severe case of plot droop.

So … what’s the solution? Luckily, I keep a box of tricks and tips for moments just like this. 

Here are a few suggestions: 

• The appearance of a story changing character to take the plot in a different direction. 
• Introduce a “ceremony” or an event where all the characters are in one place—plenty of opportunities for new conflicts.
• Toss in a few gold coins i.e. don’t use up all your clues in the first half. Spread them out a little. 
• Re-examine the core of your story. If it’s not strong enough, this is where it could collapse. 
• Study your villain—what’s his or her Achilles heel?
• Introduce an unexpected alliance between characters that had previously feuded.
• Take a deeper look at the minor characters—can any of them play a bigger role?

Oddly enough, just writing this post has perked me up. Next I must tackle a very soggy middle.  Any ideas?