/lit/ - Literature

I’m always late to these threads it seems. Anyways fellas, I need some advice. When it comes to writing, I’m excellent at creating characters, naming things, forming interesting ideas, imagining and describing scenes, etc. but I struggle with actually laying out an impactful plot, maintaining a pace that will keep the reader’s attention, and keeping the pace appropriate for the shorter length of what I’m writing.

Between plotter and pantser, I’d say I lean a bit toward the latter since I tend to feel more interested when I’m discovering and developing parts of the story as I write it. However, what I’ve found is that the result of my last two short stories has been lackluster, and that the plots have a strong beginning, unclear middle, and a weak or rushed ending. Any words of wisdom?