Linda Nelson

What do you do when your characters start doing the same thing over and over again and your story starts to sound repetitious because your antagonist and heroine just don’t get it?

Put them in a room together and let them duke it out?

But if they keep fighting will they ever start to change?

I have been stuck with Along Came Neil for almost a month. I have had a hard time moving forward with the story. The girls from my RWA chapter said I am suffering from the Sagging Middle Syndrome.

So how do you get past this point?

I have yelled at the screen, “Somebody do something!”

The words on the screen just stared back at me.

But today on our way to our NHRWA meeting my friend Linda Kepner said, “When in doubt blow something up.”

They’re only teens…

What can teens blow up?

By George – How about the kitchen?

Teens who do not know how to cook in the kitchen equals – disaster…

Excellent!!!

Thanks for the idea Linda K… Now to get busy setting the kitchen on fire so Karla and Ashley can finally, maybe – stop fighting and get on with the story.

NHRWA Chapter Writing Challenge

Oh I have a request for anyone who might be interested in helping me out. We have a monthly writing challenge in our NHRWA Chapter. This month we are to have one chapter of the manuscript we are currently working on read and critiqued by someone who has not read any of our works. So if anyone is willing to read a quick chapter of my Teen Contemporary Romance give me a holler. It would be most appreciated. You can tell me how much you hate the story if you would like. I am game and I have tough skin and I’m ready to learn to write better.

Stop in and cheer on other ROWer’s and if they are having a sagging middle, end or beginning like myself tell them to burn down the noun of their choice. Just like Mad Libs. I always loved Mad Libs when I was a kid.

—-> Linky List

Spring has sprung here in New Hampshire and it is about time. I got so tired of the snow and the cold. A bad case of cabin fever has been troubling me since February. But that is over now, thank God.

Yesterday I planted and planted and planted all seeds mind you. Mike tilled the garden plots for me (yes that is right, plural plots) and I planted in them.

We have hopes of a good crop for this year. I planted Butternut Squash, Zucchini, Yellow Crookneck, Cucumbers, Patty Pan Squash, Purple Top Turnips, Yellow Beans, Snow Peas, Green Beans, Carrots, Parsnips, and a bit of Radishes.

But we’re not done yet. Mike has plans for a plot or two of Corn and we still have yet to buy our tomato and pepper plants. Oh and don’t forget the Cabbage too.

Our chickens complained. They wanted out of their pen to free range in the yard. Before he was done tilling the first plot they were allowed out for one last time until after harvest time. They are our tick patrol and they do a really great job too with keeping the tick population in check.

There was not one mole hill to be seen in our yard once the snow melted. That must mean that the grubs are getting pretty scarce too.

We have to be careful about letting them out to free range during the rest of the growing season. They can take out a head of cabbage in less than two minutes. – Not funny –

ROW80 Check-In:

So I was very busy yesterday but I did manage to push past where I was struggling in my story. I think I have come up with some sort of temporary solution to the storyline. I just need to play with the plot a little bit more before I will know for sure. Writing romance for teens is challenging or so it seems to be for me, but I will persevere and figure it out in the end. It just might take me a bit more time to properly write this story.

“Plots are just like planting a garden from seed. It takes time for them to germinate and bring forth the fruits of harvest.”