Adult Workshop: Pushing Past the Mushy Middle (In-Person & Virtual)

Mon Mar 24 2025 at 06:00 pm to 08:00 pm UTC-04:00

91 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH 43215-3840, United States | Columbus

Thurber House
Publisher/HostThurber House
Adult Workshop: Pushing Past the Mushy Middle (In-Person & Virtual)
Advertisement
This workshop will be offered in-person (Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH 43215) and virtual (Zoom).
ABOUT
The challenge is omnipresent: a fiction writer has written a gripping opening section and has a page-turning last few chapters in mind. But on the way from beginning to end, the narrative sags. Characters flail. Pace diminishes. Unfortunately, as Mickey Spillane said, “No one reads to get to the middle.” In this class, Andrew Welsh-Huggins will discuss how to overcome the phenomenon known as “the mushy middle” through outlining and plotting techniques. He will also review the pros and cons of the three-act structure, and discuss time-honored techniques for reviving a flagging narrative, from love affairs to fist fights. He’ll also walk the class through a hands-on activity to create an outline for a book that keeps the reader engrossed to the end.
INSTRUCTOR
Andrew Welsh-Huggins is the Shamus, Derringer, and ITW-award-nominated author of the Andy Hayes Private Eye series, the editor of the Columbus Noir anthology, and author of the standalone crime novel, The End of The Road, which Kirkus called, “A crackerjack crime yarn chockablock with miscreants and a supersonic pace.” His stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, and many other publications, and in multiple anthologies including The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2021 and 2024. His nonfiction book, No Winners Here Tonight, is the definitive history of the death penalty in Ohio.
Learn more and register: https://www.thurberhouse.org/adult-writing-workshops-spring-2025
Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

91 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH 43215-3840, United States

Tickets

Sharing is Caring:

More Events in Columbus

Bishop Briggs
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 12:00 am Bishop Briggs

Newport Music Hall

Startup Ohio
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 08:00 am Startup Ohio

Hilton Columbus at Easton

Kickstart Ohio - Vendor Booth
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 08:00 am Kickstart Ohio - Vendor Booth

Hilton Columbus at Easton

CelebrateOne's Progress Forum 2025
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 08:30 am CelebrateOne's Progress Forum 2025

1 Capitol Sq

MoneyW!se Personal Finance Course
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 09:30 am MoneyW!se Personal Finance Course

New Directions Career Center

Mastering Your Lightroom Editing: Tools, Tips, and Techniques
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 04:00 pm Mastering Your Lightroom Editing: Tools, Tips, and Techniques

The MPEX Learning Studio

Funny Girl
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm Funny Girl

Ohio Theatre - Columbus

Rare Americans
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm Rare Americans

A and R Music Bar

Nicotine Dolls
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm Nicotine Dolls

Skully's Music Diner

Funny Girl - Columbua
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 07:00 pm Funny Girl - Columbua

Ohio Theatre - Columbus

Neon Trees in Columbus
Mon, 24 Mar, 2025 at 08:00 pm Neon Trees in Columbus

Newport Music Hall

Neon Trees
Tue, 25 Mar, 2025 at 12:00 am Neon Trees

Newport Music Hall

Columbus is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Columbus Events