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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/32614
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/32614
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

When a reader says "I'm reading (CHAPTER X), and I'm not interested", the first step to solving that is to ask:  
Wait a moment, what in (CHAPTER X) **_should_ be interesting?**

This is a crucial question -- and remember, it's not enough to answer, "Well, it's important for (CHAPTER X+3)." The reader isn't reading (X+3); they're bored _right now_.

The reason middles so often sag is because the story has invested all its energy setting up the book's _ultimate_ stakes. And then, it's much harder for there to _be_ any smaller stakes along the way; stakes for one scene, stakes for one chapter. It feels like nothing's happening because, well, you've made clear what things are _important_ to the story, and none of what's going on at this point feels important.

So here's you're first step: Go through your middle chapters. For each one, describe why, on the first page of the chapter, the reader _should_ be eager to read the rest of it, based _only_ on what he's read so far.

The results of this exercise should be illuminating. Maybe you'll find that some chapters seem not to have stakes, or an initial hook. Maybe you'll find that the stakes seem the same every single chapter. Maybe you'll find that you've given hooks, but that they feel minor and veering away from the "important stuff". Each of these has different solutions, of course, but this is how you can diagnose what the problem is :)

And do remember that "keeping reader interest" isn't all about being fast-paced and having a twisty plot. A lot of times, it's about helping readers _care_ what happens to the characters. It's about being personal, intimate, bringing your world to life. "Having good stakes" doesn't mean having a million dollars stolen, or a nuclear bomb drop on New York; it can mean having your dad's goofy Dilbert clock stolen, or realizing your best friend is creeped out by you being gay. But that's already dependent on your story :)

Original score: 2