I will
say right up front, I’ve never had writer’s block.
But
whatever! I’ve always managed to keep writing.
So in
the vein of giving writer’s advice…it’s what we do here, right?
And
keeping in mind that there is no one right way to write a book, feel free to do
what works for YOU and ignore me.
I
often, at the end of a scene, jump ahead. Or jump somewhere else, to another
character in another place.
So I’ll
finish a scene and then get ready to jump…and I’m not sure WHERE to jump.
And
that’s where I use this simple trick.
I catch
myself. Stop myself from jumping. You don’t always have to jump. Instead, I simply
ask myself.
What
comes next?
And I mean this is very simple terms. Where are they right now? Where are they standing? If I jump no where, let no time pass, then what comes next?
They have to walk somewhere, or make a meal, or saddle a horse. Do that.
And I mean this is very simple terms. Where are they right now? Where are they standing? If I jump no where, let no time pass, then what comes next?
They have to walk somewhere, or make a meal, or saddle a horse. Do that.
Do
what comes next.
I think for me, the danger of writer’s block comes when I’m trying to get fancy.
I think for me, the danger of writer’s block comes when I’m trying to get fancy.
And
then this goes to revisions. I can get fancy later.
I once
cut 5000 words from a book, after taking a long time to write them, based on What
Comes Next. I couldn't quite see how to make the jump…so I wrote along until I got
to where that jump should start, then went back and cut everything out that got
me there.
THOSE
WORDS AREN’T WASTED.
In
fact, though they didn’t need to take that long train right IN THE BOOK…it was
okay to just jump to the end of the ride...their destination…I did realize later a lot of relationship development happened, some character development, some
talk of where they were going and why.
So I
went back and dug that out and put it back in…much shorter…but I used about
half those words.
So
that’s it. This is sort of ridiculous of a post probably, but I just did this.
I just wrote myself to the end of my ideas and wanted some splashy JUMP and
found myself thinking, What Comes Next.
It’s a
small trick that helps me navigate around writer’s block.
You’re
welcome.
Do you have tricks? Has anyone got little tricks that help them navigate their writing. The truth is, I'll bet you do, but you use them and never think much about them.
Share if you can dig them out. It might help us all keep writing.
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Hi Mary:
ReplyDeleteHere is something I learned in a writing class that I found to be very helpful.
After each scene ask yourself, "What would happen next?" Don't ask "What would I like to happen next?" Don't ask, "What do the characters want to happen next?" Don't ask "What the plot needs to have happened next?" No, always ask "What would actually happen next?"
If you don't like what would actually happen, then change the backstory, foundation, or what has come before that scene.
I think this works wonders in giving the story as much verisimilitude as possible. However, it is hard on contrived, stilted or unfounded story development.
How do you know what would actually happen next? I've found that easier to come up with than any of the other options. What would actually happen next does not have to meet the needs of what you want to achieve. It's just there.
Vince
For me this always comes down to characterization and setting... if the characters behave out of character, no one's going to like it, not the author, the editor, or the reader...
DeleteAnd the setting/time/place has to be considered....
So if you're DONE with that setting, then it's a great time-jump moment... if someone's moved or settled in or whatever the peaceful moment is, then it's time to thrust something forward that can always be foreshadowed in revisions....
As long as the characters stay in character.
So I agree with both of these fine people, but now I have to go look up verisimilitude.
WHAT KIND OF WORD IS THAT, VINCE????? :)
For those of you who also didn't know what it meant, it's "giving or lending a sense of reality" ... so your book should sound real, with threads coming up organically from the origins of the conflict or story.
But now I have a new SAT word!!!! YAY!!!!!
I didn't look it up, Ruthy. You did that work for me. Thank you. But I figured it meant TRUTH. Verisimiltude means truth. In a way that's right.
DeleteVince, I like the questions. More complex but maybe, fundamentally, the same as my What Comes Next.
Hi Mary! I actually love the post and the possibilities it presents. Do what comes next. That's looking very closely at what just happened and where their foot would go next, or their bullet, since you shoot people lol. This post has inspired me to just keep going, wherever going leads.
ReplyDeleteAnd I would love to be entered for a chance to win a signed copy of your book!
DeleteI find myself using this all the time, Sally. Sometimes I know exactly where I need to go, but, when I don't, this works.
DeleteI'm a plotter by heart so before I even begin, I write an outline on note cards. Just enough detail to get me started. That way, I just pick up the next card and write. Do I always stick with what I wrote on the card? Nope. But it gives me a place to start. The story is always evolving and the characters sometimes change their minds. The important thing is, I'm getting the words out of my head and on paper.
ReplyDeleteLove the post, Mary!
Kimberly, I just love this. So cool. I need to do more plotting. I'm a little confused at myself having the NERVE to write a book when I launch it with so little idea of where I'm going.
DeleteAnd yes, plotters often veer off into unexpected, unplanned directions. And seat of the pants writers often plan more than they probably realize. But still, I'm working on a new proposal and I have an idea that is the BEGINNING. I have a vision for the location, the characters, the back story...and of course we're doing happily ever after. The stuff in the middle?????
No idea.
Mary, you are too funny, but how I wish I had your ability to capture that adventure on the page, even if you did have to cut 5000 words to do it. Usually, I am so much of a pantser that I never know what is going to happen next until it happens, then I have to go back and figure out how to make it work with what already happened. Not much of a system to it, just praying a lot and listening to the voices in my head.
ReplyDeleteI STILL love that cover on Accidental Guardian. It captures the heart of the book in such a sweet way. Thank you for sharing with us in Seekerville today.
Hi Cindy. It used to just TORTURE me to admit I needed to cut a big chunk out of my book. But now I'm pretty ruthless about it.
DeleteI do SAVE those cut scenes.
I usually have a word document I call Book Title (whatever it is) Cut Scenes.
I also have a Book Title Info File.
I can cut things but save them and often work then back into the book a bit at a time.
So I don't consider that writing wasted.
I also discover things in that writing that I need. Even if I never use them, I've developed characters and use that, much like someone would 'interview' a character. Or create a character chart.
Love this, Mary.
ReplyDeleteI rarely get writer's block. If I get stuck (not permanently stuck in cement, but maybe slogging through the mud,) I leave my desk. I walk around the living room. I talk to myself. I breathe some fresh air. I let the ideas jiggle around in my subconscious. I don't actively think about the stuck point, but about the next part after that.
I guess I use your method - I think about what comes next.
Once I have what happens after my stuck point, then I go back to my computer and write what happens in between. Works every time. :-)
I forgot to add that I love this series! I read books two and three in one weekend...the best weekend of this long winter!
DeleteThanks, Jan. This has been a FANTASTIC winter for reading.
DeleteI think what you do, what I do...we struggle here to put into words things we all do. So my What Comes Next isn't so much advice as it is DUH!
Mary, I love this idea. I'm so linear, I don't know if could do it! But I do think I'd like to try it sometime if I'm stuck. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteGive it a try, Missy. I guess when you say linear it almost surprises me because I would've said I write in a linear way. But maybe I don't. I do jump from one group of characters to another or too the bad guy....but mostly in chronological order.
DeleteGood tip, Mary! My problem is in the beginning when I'm brainstorming a new story. Sometimes I get stalled. Then I take out my white board. For some reason, that white board forces me to "create" the story overview. Once I have the plot outline and character arcs and GMCs on my board, then I can start writing.
ReplyDeleteI've got this thing, Debby, where I almost let the story come out of my fingertips. Like I'll sit down to start and am almost surprised when a story starts typing away.
DeleteMary, as always I appreciate your posts! I once tried jumping like you because I had a scene in my mind that I just couldn't let go of but it didn't fit in the sequence so I wrote it, set it aside, and then kept going. I love using Scrivener for those kinds of moments - which makes it super easy to jump around and then fit pieces together when ready. I am definitely a planner, and I'm still a newbie, so everything is fresh and exciting that my problem is I have TOO much in my head to get onto paper/screen. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never tried Scrivener. I'm probably firmly in the Old Dog New Tricks phase of life.
DeleteThis post really spoke to me today. It's funny, because I've been procrastinating writing a scene, because I couldn't figure out how to get from A to B without it being completely boring. I decided to just write it and then maybe, like you did, cut out what was totally unnecessary. It still seems a bit boring to me, but helped me push through and keep going. :)
ReplyDeleteATTA GIRL, Sherrinda! :D
DeleteHi Mary. I think if I ever had writer's block, it was more that I didn't want to write the scene necessary to get to the one I really wanted to write instead. Not real writer's block. But just writing what comes next is great advice. Often, I appreciate the scene I wanted to write even more after writing the one I dreaded because my characters grew enough to handle what came next. That may not make sense, but I can't figure a better way to say it right now. :-)
ReplyDeleteAmy I find with, especially action scenes, I can really catch myself procrastinating because I know they are going to be HARD WORK to get them right, to get them to MOVE. And I have to just accept that I CANNOT do them right the first time. I have to write them badly then fix them. That helps me to dive in to those scenes I don't want to write.
DeleteI think I need you to come sit by me and read over my shoulder right now. I need to know what's next, where to jump to. I know where the story needs to get to, I'm just not sure how to get it there (and stay under my word count!)
ReplyDeleteErica, who is staring a deadline in the face and also scowling at her WIP. (Multi-tasking!)
If I read over your shoulder, you KNOW we would just start talking and you'd never get ANYTHING WRITTEN!
DeleteTrue...at the retreat in a couple weeks, we'll have to declare a no-talking zone! :)
DeleteI hate that my writing is basically on hold until I can get home. I never dreamed when I left home on January 31 for my watercolor class that would be months before I could return. I am still not home. The pain is never ending and I still can barely walk. I see the surgeon on Thursday and praying he will say I can go home. They say it's not safe for me at home but then living in a nursing home is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteThe bright side is I have pages of notes and an idea for a mystery suspense series temporary titled Crafty Sleuths.
Thanks for all your prayers.
So sorry to hear you're still in this much pain, Wilani. Rehab is hard but you need to stay until you're totally healed. My mom spent longer than she wanted to in rehab as well, but you can't risk another bad fall at home before you're ready. We're all praying for a quicker recovery for you. God bless. xo
DeleteWilani are you able to stay where you can get good care? Because if you can stay then you should. And you can write anywhere.
DeleteI'm so sorry you're in pain. Pain just affects every aspect of our lives because everything is so hard with underlying pain. God bless you and keep you.
Insurance quit paying so I had to move to assisted living where they don't give my meds when supposed to. My heart medication was missing one night . Glad I noticed and danger avoided. Once my brother builds a ramp and I can get home health and therapy. Last week I had two asthma attacks because the lady next door was smoking in her room. The administration would not believe me until the attack.
DeleteThe therapist says I am steady. Hopefully the surgeon will give the go ahead.
I have hard copies of my writing in binders at the house. Family doesn't want to bring much because it'll have to be brought home. It was difficult to convince them to let me have my books to read. Can't read on Kindle right now. I've managed to get 12 books right now and expecting 3 more to arrive this week.
I will try to let you know what the doctor says.
Praying for you, Wilani. I'm so sorry you are in so much pain.
DeleteThank you, Mary, because I'm a writer who gets "blocked" and I'm not ashamed to admit it. :) Maybe I can start a support group, lol. Now I can see it's because I'm *not* writing whatever comes next - I'm stressing too much to get from point to point. I have written many scenes that never make it in to the book, that are "off stage" and kept them in files and they really helped me bring out the emotions in the scenes that needed to be on the page. (eg her brother's car accident death in Northern Deception, along with the assault in her university dorm room). I'm going to try this "new-to-me" technique and hopefully, I'll never be blocked again. ;) Now to go write a murder-discovery scene!
ReplyDeleteLAURIE! I hope it helps. Thank you for finding it maybe...useful.
DeleteMary, I can relate to writing 5000 words, only to edit them. That's similar to what I did in my work this past winter of my current romance novel in progress, Writing Soulmates. I don't think my words were wasted. They, and time, were the steps I had to take to allow me to make my story simpler. Now, I'm loving the new and better direction the story is going.
ReplyDeleteNo writer's block? Ever? That is so not fair, Mary.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on not getting writers block. What a blessing.
ReplyDeleteHi Ms. Connealy, my name is Cadee I’m 17 and I’ve read almost every book you have written (the ones that I’ve been able to find at least). Your books make me want to be an author someday, to be able to put these crazy worlds and characters that are stuck in my head down in paper and have others enjoy them as much as I enjoy musing about them. Anyway, thank you for all amazing books that offered a brief escape from the day to day and for inspiring me.
ReplyDeleteCadee! Hi! I love your blogger I.D. name! A cowgirl!!! :D
DeleteThanks for reading my books. The thing about writing is, it's always there for you. If you haven't started writing yet, you can pick it up when life allows it. So don't give up your dream of writing. I love that you've got ideas brimming in your head!
Nice trick for avoiding writer's block. Very simple yet genius.
ReplyDeleteHi Chanel, wow, genius. I'm printing this comment out and showing to My Cowboy husband!
DeleteVery informative. Keep on posting.
ReplyDeleteThe Best Ever Bethlehem Private Investigator
Hi Daniel! Thanks for stopping in.
DeleteGreat ideas, Mary. I sometimes jump ahead. When I write short stories and I know how they will end, I will write the end first. Sometimes when I'm stuck I go for a walk. It is amazing how the ideas can flow then.
ReplyDeleteI love this, Sandy. One More great example of how all writer's have their own way that works for them. I think writing the end first is so intriguing.
DeleteBut I never know that much about the ending. But maybe if I figured it out, it would help through the book...
Mary, if I don't know where to go, I just keep writing fill-in stuff. If that doesn't work, I jump to scenes I know needs to be written. It makes for messy revisions but better than writing nothing.
ReplyDeleteHi Connie!!!
DeleteIt works for you. That's what counts.
I do this fill-in stuff sometimes. I go back and revise and rewrite because I don't want to tackle what I know is a hard scene to write.
It's almost an unconscious choice and I have to force myself to GET BACK TO ADVANCING THE STORY!
Hey Mary, Thanks for sharing. As a reader, I enjoy learning how writers overcome obstacles in their writing journey.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
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