List of Questions to Ask Yourself When a Story Feels Stuck
When was the last time you took a break?
Are you mentally/emotionally/physically exhausted?
Have you recently had anything substantial to eat/drink?
How are you feeling? Examine any negatives. Self-doubt, jealousy, anxiety, etc. Why are you feeling this way? Did something prompt it? Reach out to others if you can.
Have you been writing in the same place for too long? Using the same playlist? Try changing it up.
When was the last time you took in creative media from someone else? Books, podcasts, movies, tv? Seek out stories other than your own.
Are you falling into the trap of expecting perfection when there is no such thing?
Focus on the trouble spot
Do you know where you want your characters to be after the part you’re stuck on?
Can something new be introduced? A ticking time bomb, a surprise attack, a betrayal, a murder, a confession?
Do you like the constraints you’ve set up for yourself? That is, the setting, the characters present, the ‘props’ at their disposal? Anything you can add, change, or take away?
Reread the last couple of scenes before your trouble spot. Is there a way you could rewrite/detour the trajectory in a new, not stuck direction?
Do you know how the story ends?
Does your outline need to change? Would it help you to make an outline?
How do you want the events of this ‘stuck scene’ to affect the rest of the plot? Is there a different way to create the same results?
Are the characters acting in a way that doesn’t work with the plot? Which are you willing to change, the characters or the plot?
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