by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
There comes a point in almost every manuscript where I get a little stuck.
I’m either bogged down by the story itself or by outside forces (i.e.—life).
It’s not writer’s block. It’s just…stalling. Not wanting to move forward, not sure how to move forward. Hesitating.
And I have absolutely no time for it. I handed in a book yesterday and I have a book due (different series) July 1. Hesitation is not part of my game plan.
The most important thing is to diagnose what’s behind the hesitation (in my case, very quickly) and order up a quick prescription. Or an emergency surgery.
First of all, figure out what is making you stuck:
You aren’t sure how to approach the next scene.
You aren’t in the mood to write the next scene.
You aren’t sure how to move forward with your plot.
You can’t seem to get the writing done during the day.
Your house offers too many other options for things to do.
Things I’ve done to treat this hesitation:
1) Change of Location. I’ve:
Written at the library.
Written at a diner way out in the country that had no Wi-Fi (and left my phone in the car.)
Written at the coffeehouse.
Taken my children and a large group of their favorite friends to the bowling alley/the skating rink/the swimming pool. I’ve put dollar bills on the table for everyone’s drinks and snacks and written until they all wanted to leave or were all arguing with each other. :)
2) Change of Story Direction (moving forward…not fixing what I’d written before that point.) I’ve:
Merged two characters into one character.
Added a character.
Killed a character.
Inserted an argument.
Turned one character’s wife into his best friend’s wife.
Changed the method of the murder.
Changed the murderer.
Listed 20 or more ways to approach the next scene. Listed 20 ways to end the story. Listed 20 ways for something unexpected to happen.
3.) Change of process. I’ve:
Skipped the rest of the chapter I was stuck on and kept going.
Written the ending of the book first.
Written the ending and then worked backward from that point.
Written the rest of the book out of order on different Word docs (and, no, I don’t recommend this!)
Written the scene I was in the mood to write (the funny scene, the scary scene, the scene when it all starts making sense to the sleuth.)
4.) Change of schedule. I’ve:
Written before going to bed.
Written when the children came home from school while they were doing their homework.
Gotten up in the middle of the night to write.
Written 1/2 a page at 4 different points during the day.
Set a timer and written for 20 minutes, done housework for 20 minutes, written for 20 minutes, paid bills and organized my desk for 20 minutes, written for 20 minutes, exercised for 20 minutes…
I think we all get stuck sometimes. But we can brainstorm ways to get through it. Maybe it’s better if we expect to be stuck, then we can have a plan in place already.
Do you get stuck sometimes? How do you work through it?
Image—Flickr—IndiepoprockJesse
Boy do I ever get stuck. What’s worse is, I’ll get stuck and insist that I should try to push through, but then I’ll lose an hour or so getting nothing done. Then I guilt myself for not having used the time better. :-/
Elizabeth – Oh, I definitely get stuck. It’s such a frustrating feeling, too. I think you have a point that what we do about getting stuck depends on why we’re stuck. When I’m stuck for ideas I think of the craziest thing I can think of to happen in the story. That usually jogs my creativity. Oh, and I’ve found simply getting up and getting some exercise helps, too. Somehow it gets the juices flowing so to speak. Being stuck for time is a little more challenging, but I try. For instance, I put what I’m working on on my netbook and take it with me. Everywhere. That helps me to be prepared to write whenever I have 10 minutes.
Everytime I heed your advice, I move forward. There’s nothing like experience to pave the way.
Thanks so much!
Teresa
Great suggestions! Whenever I get stuck,especially in the middle of a novel, I put it down and start a small writing project that can be completed quickly.
So many good solutions here. I’ve tried many of the above and they’ve worked.
~ Wendy
I’ve done all of those things, and #1 and #3 help me get unstuck the most!
Number three is what I do – skip ahead to the next scene that zings me. Then I go back and play ‘connect the dots.’
Hmmm, I tried to comment before, but I think Blogger ate it. Apologies if my comments show up twice.
When I’m just feeling plain resistant/burnt out on writing, I make myself write out 10 pages by hand right before bed. Then I roll out of bed first thing in the morning and type what I’ve written. It usually gets me started and I can keep going for a little bit longer. It’s not the MOST efficient, but when I’m really stuck it works.
I’m a morning person, so I have no idea why it does work. Maybe I’m so tired and desperate to go to bed that my brain gets extra creative. I know the quiet and lack of distractions (like the Internet, children, TV, etc) helps. I should also add that 10 pages are manageable for me b/c I have very, very big handwriting. It works out to about 1,000 words usually. A lot of people could probably get by with much less!
I think my biggest stuck spots are not knowing the connecting scene. I do a timeline, so I usually know what comes NEXT, but sometimes getting there causes me trouble. So most often I just write a sentence or two about what I know the scene has to do, then skip to the next part. it is always easier when I come back later to fill it in. The other trouble is if I’m trying to do a really emotional scene on the computer–I need to do those long hand in the bath…
Paul–That’s frustrating. And it’s usually when I do my 20 minute approach (although it sounds like something only hyper people would do. It really does help, though, when I feel I’m about to lose a whole hour and not accomplish anything.)
Margot–I like that–going for the craziest, “out-there” types of ideas. Brainstorming is always a good thing!
Teresa–Sweet of you to say so! Hope it helps.
Wendy–Thanks for coming by!
Laura–Me too!
Diane–It’s funny how something so basic can jump-start a whole project.
Joanne–Like a short story or poem? Great idea for staying creative while being stuck!
Jill–That’s a very good suggestion and one that I should have mentioned in my post. I’ve tried it before and it works well–write longhand if I’m stuck on the computer (and vice versa.) I’m a morning person too and I haven’t tried the Desperation Longhand approach at night. I’ll have to give it a go.
And sorry about Blogger. They give me fits!
Hart–Yes, those transition scenes can cause trouble. Sometimes I’ll just mark them *** and come back to them later.
When I was working on my dissertation, I often went out to write, to get away from the distractions of home (… and this from someone who lived alone!). Coffeehouses were perfect because the buzz of activity around me was stimulating but didn’t require my attention. Sometimes it helped to put away the computer and write by hand… somehow that slowed me down and made my writing more careful. Mostly, though, I found imminent deadlines to be a strong motivator… :) Great post, Elizabeth!
I might go over what I’ve already written, although I usually end up editing then.
Jennings–You’re right about home being distracting–even when we’re alone! Lots of dishes to do, laundry to fold, etc. :) Deadlines are definitely the best motivator of all. Sometimes even deadlines that I’ve set for myself can keep me on track. Thanks for coming by. :)
Alex–That’s what would happen for me, too.
I am working my way out of a stuck phase right now. Switching up my writing routine and coming up with more ideas for the pesky scene that brought me to a screeching halt. I’m definitely saving this post for future reference. Thank-you!
Elizabeth, this sounds a lot like the creative “whack on the head” process. Good tips.
@Paul Guilt can be a vicious cycle
Sounds like ya know how to shake things up when ya get stuck sweetie, you always give the best advice!!!
God bless ya and have a fantastic day dear hear! :O)
I get stuck frequently, it seems. Having the scene outline has drastically helped, but I go though periods where I just don’t have the drive to sit down and figure it all out. Mornings are the worst. If I could find a way to put butt in chair and just write in the morning I’d get a lot more done.
Love your suggestions, Elizabeth. I’ve thought about going to the library, but I tend to like the quiet of home, and I get distracted with people watching, lol.
Maurice–Creative whack on the head! Ha! I like that. :)
Janel–Good luck with it!
Nezzy–Thanks so much for coming by. :) Hope you’re well.
Stacy–I have to get up really early to do my writing…before everyone in my house is up.
Hey, we can people-watch as long as we can incorporate the people/mannerisms/traits into a story. :) It’s writing!
Those are great ideas for when I get stuck. I do leave the house with its laundry and baking needs.
I like the ideas for when I get stuck on a scene. I’m taking notes.
Susan–Hope it helps. And thanks for coming by!
These are such great ideas for pushing forward. I especially like the lists!
This couldn’t have been better timing for me and I love all of your suggestions! One of my faves is to write for a while, then do something else for a while, then come back to writing. At least, until I get so into the scene I can’t leave the computer! :)