I’m three-quarters into a novel, and the momentum has evaporated. I know the ending on paper, but the emotional current that carried me through the first half isn’t there anymore. It feels like the story is suddenly a set of tasks rather than a living thing.
Part of the struggle is thread density. Early chapters grew naturally-character arcs, world rules, a moral dilemma-but now I’m juggling too many “must-happen” beats. I can see how they interlock, but writing them feels mechanical, like I’m assembling furniture instead of inviting the reader into a room. The result is paralysis: I’m wary of forcing scenes that should breathe.
A concrete example: in a near-future story, my protagonist had already chosen to expose a company’s harmful tech. The final act required fallout, a public confrontation, and a private rupture with someone they love. I knew the sequence, but the scenes read like bullet points. What helped briefly was writing a single “cost” scene from the antagonist’s perspective—two pages, no plot advancement—just a small moment where he recognizes what losing control actually means for him. That unlocked the tone I needed and let me prune an entire subplot that was only there to justify a twist. The draft felt lighter, and I got another chapter done before the stall returned.
I’m debating whether to cut further, re-outline the last quarter, or let it rest and write something adjacent (e.g., a character letter, a news article from the world) to rekindle voice. I worry that stepping away cements distance, but pushing through can flatten what drew me to the project in the first place.
- What practical steps have helped you reclaim emotional connection this late in a draft?
- Do you re-outline the final act, or do you revisit early chapters to re-tune the story’s “why” before moving forward?
- How do you decide which threads to cut when everything feels essential but nothing feels alive?
- Have you used a non-narrative artifact (letters, journal entries, in-world documents) to re-enter a character’s voice, and did it translate back to the draft?
- At what point do you shelve a project, and what signals tell you it’s time to return?
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I'd start by not using crutches like genAI. It's like going to the gym and asking the staff to do your reps for you: you won't get any stronger by passing the hard work to anyone else.
Because, let's be honest, finishing a draft is hard work. If you need to replot and replan and prune, do it. If you need a week or a month away from the work, do it. But you have to do it.
Perhaps you should focus on writing only the emotional core of the story, the stuff that absolutely must happen. If the story has a genuinely compelling emotional core and the MC a well-defined arc, this should be straightforward. Grab hold of that thread and hold on to it.
De toute façon, ceux qui utilisent l'IA pour écrire le texte complet, ça ne pourra jamais être bon parce que 1 : l'IA n'est pas original et 2 : c'est un outil. Elle doit être utilisé pour critiquer, te montrer où ça va pas, et non pour faire à ta place.
Editing is a reasonable use case for genAI, but still must be treated with caution: the LLM doesn't actually know anything other than which words are likely to be found in the neighbourhood of other words.
It is still better to get feedback from readers and other writers and, budget permitting, professional editors.
C'est vrai qu'il faut parfois se méfier de ce qu'elle dit. Parfois, elle dit n'importe quoi.
I think I'll need to be re-outlining the last half. I made some tweaks in the first half of the draft that now have rippled changes down the line. But I do think taking a moment to re-brainstorm things can help.
As for deciding which plot threads to axe, I know I'll have to make that decision soon. There are at least three that I may have to choose between, and it would be a bummer to lose any of them. But if they're overcomplicating the plot and might make it hard for the reader to keep up, that's what it'll have to be 😭
All three of those plots do something meaningful but don't really impact the ending tbh. One plot allows a side character to encourage the MC with advice and leads to a fun scene i think I'd need to ease the mood after a tragic event happens... so I could cut that plot, but then I lose that fun scene... but currently this is the one I could most easily cut.
Another plot thread involves the MC having an issue with his family that he learns to rise above as a demonstration of his character growth, and it brings a lot of context to him as a character, as well as allowing the second MC to reveal things about his family and background, too, that I don't want to lose. I think I'm going to see how long I can cling to this plot thread for now.
The third plot thread that could be cut is a darker one that I think is risky in terms of what happens. It's the cause of a devastating fallout between the two MCs, but the topic is a bit taboo (it involves SH). I'm nervous about keeping this plot thread in, even though I think it adds a bit of edge to things. And also, if I remove this plot thread, I have to come up with a new reason for their fallout, which needs to have just as much devastating weight in it. I'm stumped on that...
For now, I'm just completing the draft with all three plots, and then I'll get some beta feedback on which plots they like and whi h they could have passed up.
Thanks , really like what you wrote
I would re-read what I already have and find the disconnect within the story. Sometimes, you have to stop being the writer and become the reader to gain perspective on the story arc.
I used a mid-point reversal to knock the emotional track for a loop.
Just think of the worst thing your MC needs right now and have it happen, logically.
Things like that break up the dull step by steps and sorta rewire things to make it feel fresher, imho.
Maybe his original intention to expose the company changes due to it harming more people than not. Or in order to do it, someone he loves will be sacrificed or in danger.
Move away from just staying with text as the medium, go to audio and visuals as an inspiration, the mind will connect to new dots.