things I do to unstick my book
Ask if this scene really needs to be a scene or if I can just summarize it
Ask if this summary really needs to be summary or if I need more scene
Write a very focused, very pretty sentence
Circle back a couple scenes & ask if one of them is causing âsymptomsâ later in the book
Get in and get out (push through a tough scene as fast as possible & then run forward and fast like wind to the next bit)
Add an exciting element (a new character, a change of location, other⌠things ;))
Pause and revise if Iâm feeling destabilized
Be specific about what I DONâT like (example: I canât get past this scene because the dialogue is so mechanical instead of âahhh I hate it allâ)
Read what I last wrote aloud (to hopefully sink into some momentum) OR get a robot to read it to me
Try a teeny tiny writing sprint (1-5 minutes of nonstop writing)
Write a flashback (bonus points if itâs connected emotionally or plot-wise to the fictive present)
Read from a literary godparent (this is when you pull out the books/stories/poems etc that make you excited about writing!)
Write or brainstorm every possible direction of a scene (sometimes grueling, sometimes worth it)
Sit and think (in a bathtub, on a walkâtry to immerse yourself in your story like youâre a random character who got plopped in there; what do you see?)
Find a word that excites you and use that in your next scene
Double check if youâre hitting the right story beats (or if you skipped one, spent too long on one, spent too little on one, etc)
Write âbare bonesâ and come back to fine tune it later (similar to get in and get out)
Write with your eyes closed (be warned of incomprehensible text if you canât type with closed eyes)
Break down your causal chain bit by bit (even the boring parts) and see if thereâs a broken link. Then delete the boring parts (sometimes we just need to see how EXACTLY we got to a place and how EXACTLY that leads us to the important bitâI find I missed something critical when I do this).
Rely on crutch words, boring details & trust you can edit it later (sometimes the idea of perfection in draft 1 can be unproductive)
Ask a friend to read the work & tell you what they think (sometimes we need help; writing is hard)
Ask a friend for a compliment read (sometimes we just need to be hyped up)
Change the tense (temporarily & be warned that different tenses may require different approaches when drafting, I only do this when Iâm not sure what else to try)
Talk myself through the problem as if Iâm talking to a friend (I pull up my notes and literally start typing: âso Iâm struggling with XYZ scene right now for XYZ reason and I donât know what to do. What if XYZ happened, or what if I changed XYZ?â)
Take a breakâsometimes Iâm just tired/burnt out/not in the mood to write (thatâs okay!)
I post more tips Iâve picked up along the way on youtube!
