Fixing a Sagging Middle: Part 1 of a series of writing lessons from Downton Abbey

DISCLAIMER: If you don’t want to read a spoiler, make sure you are up-to-date on the episodes.

When this season began, I have to admit that I was getting a little bored. I was contemplating whether watching the show was worth my time. The middle was sagging. Big time. Several friends agreed with me. Mary and Matthew got married, Edith had a beau, everyone had a happy ending.

Then… they changed it up. Shook things up. They killed off a beloved character. True, Sybil didn’t have as much screen time as Mary, but she was an integral part of the show. Like that, they reeled me back in.

We have more tension. Will Tom take the baby away? Will the Granthams get much time to spend with their granddaughter? What about Matthew and Mary’s longing for a baby? How will this all play out?

Not to mention the emotions invested in the show. Tell me you didn’t cry all through the last half hour of the episode where Sybil died? We have people to root for again and plots that intrigue.

Killing off a strong secondary character is one way to shore up a sagging middle. It mixes the waters. New stresses. New possible outcomes. Emotions.

Of course, killing off a character is only one way to fix a middle muddle. Unexpected news, a secret revelation, romantic tension, foreshadowing, a disaster – all ways to grab your reader’s attention again. Losing a child was one of the worst things that could happen to the Granthams. Downtown Abbey was turned on its head. The news even affected the servants downstairs. It permeated all of the stories and relationships.

How about Edith being jilted at the altar? That one wasn’t so unpredictable, yet it did do its job. New avenues for Edith to explore. New disagreements among the family members. A storyline that is moving forward.

What you want to do is throw something unexpected at the reader. They shouldn’t see it coming. Sybil’s death was a blindside. Gasp. Oh, no. Clutch your chest and slide to the edge of your seat.

Sagging middle fixed. Brilliant writing by the creators of Downton Abbey. Fantastic plot twist. Something for a writer to bear in mind with the middle sags.

Any other suggestions on remedying a middle muddle?