Hitting the wall, and what are you doing about it?

Sereana, try changing gears a little bit. Try just writing about what you're writing about, or what you're not writing about, or what might be interesting if it happened in your story and what you might do about it if it did and how that might affect the story. Think out loud (or in writing) and see what that does. Try writing a parody of your story for a little while and see if that brings new life to it.

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. - G. K. Chesterton

See if you can separate out what is really going on with the not wanting to write? Are you scared because you have lost your cushion? I know I'm kind of anxious because this week and next I have a lot of real world stuff happening so I have several days where I have not/might not make my quota. I'm terrified I'll get far enough "behind" that I'll give up.

Yesterday I made a list of characters, that has helped me feel more comfortable, I'm not searching for people's names anymore and trying to keep all that straight in my head. I also made a mini-outline for the next two or three chapters. I have a kinky plot twist I'm putting in and I have to know about things before my character does :-) and setting that up over those next few chapters and seeing where I'm going for the near future has made me feel more comfortable too. Maybe do some "doodling" about scenes or just have fun with the material away from the computer and see if you can light your fire again from some idea or non-threatening work like that.

Have you been to any write-in's? I went to one Sunday, the 1st, and in a couple hours got more than that day's writing done which tells me that I can write a day's worth in two or three hours. That "fact" alone makes me more comfortable, even when I get a few hundred words behind because I know I'm not drowning yet. Do little studies like that, find a few "facts" about your writing now or in the past that will help you have more confidence? Find a write-in and go be around others who are working on their projects and that might help; I'm going to go faithfully to the couple weekend ones in my area.

Serana, I don't know if this will help you or not, but when I don't know what to write next, I read back on what I've written. I don't correct everything. There will be time for that later, but I do fill in things that I've missed, writing paragraphs or small scenes that support what is already there. Sometimes, even just reading it puts me back in the mindset of the characters.

After that, I can usually move forward, even if it is plodding stuff which will be mostly cut out. But somewhere in the plodding, I hit a run of work that adds to the story and gets it moving again.

Winner 2005: The Tribe of Palmetto Bay
Winner 2006: The Blue Light
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Winner 2008: Disappearance
Winner 2009: Comp Psi

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When I hit a wall, it helps me to:

1. Write out of sequence, or simply write anything at all I know about the story.
2. Freewrite. I set a timer for 10-15 minutes or use a website like "Write or Die" and write non-stop about anything that I think, feel or sense.
3. Work on another story. That is the main reason why I'm writing two novels instead of one.
4. Do something completely different: knitting, gardening, go for a walk.

I find I get stuck when I become too eager to see what my subconscious comes up with next. It's like watching water to boil or paint to dry. The water will boil, and the paint will dry whether I watch it or not. Subconscious will come up with what is going to happen next in the story. It's a law of nature. But it seems to become a little shy if I look over its shoulder too much.

Good luck!

2008: Lapis Lazuli (historical fiction) - WON! (57K)
2009: Vicit Vim Virtus (historical fiction)

Thanks for all the good advice. I really appreciate the support. I managed to write a little over 700 words during lunch today. Decided to take the night off and go be with some friends. I think I needed the break. I am a little over 1000 words behind, but I swear I am going to write like the wind this weekend. Probably go to at least one write in. I will succeed. This story is too good to let die.

Hi Sereana,

If i get stuck i go to bed...seriously! I find being comfortable and warm helps enormously. Even if i don't think of anything at least i'm comfy! And i think under these conditions i relax - which possibly helps creativity for me
.
Then i think of my novel and let my mind wander, letting the thoughts come and go as they please. There is no forcing any plot or anything, it's more of a mental free-fall.
Under these conditions i sometimes have an idea or two.

Alternatively, you could try talking to your characters. I find some characters easier to 'talk to' than others. I close my eyes and imagine them sitting in a chair opposite me. Then i ask them what they think of the story so far...are they ok with it...i ask them to tell me about themselves and try to imagine their voice etc.
This is something i've only recently started doing and it helps only in so far as i get an idea of what the character is like rather than ideas about plot from them. It may prove more productive with practice!

Good luck!

I would second what Treefrog advised. If you look back on what you've written, it helps to put you in that frame of mind again. I've never gone to bed when I'd stuck, but I have fallen asleep at the keyboard.

John Grisham once said he was thinking about giving up writing as it was "too easy." I'd bet 99.9% of all writers wanted to bitch-slap him at that point.

Hi, yall --

Prudence, I like your idea about talking to your characters. I haven't tried that before and it sounds good.

well thank you kindly Chowchowgrl!
Not my idea though - i saw it on one of the forums somewhere. A piece of advice which was offered and i've found useful. So in turn i pass it on.

'Course, if i start conversing with them all the time my husband just might have me locked up ;D
Until then, i'll do pretty well anything to keep the words flowing!

This is such Good Fun!!! :D

Prue

I got stuck so went and did the weekly shopping and while pushing a trolley around the supermarket on automatic pilot a whole big chunk of the puzzle fell into my lap.

Finally my good guys have a reason to go beat up the sub-plot bad guys, and I get to introduce one of the love interests and on top of that showcase the supernatural powers of one of my MC's

On the downside my son informs me I only bought enough "boy food" to get him through the next twenty four hours :)

I thought I hit that wall Sunday. I had stockpiled what I thought would be enough story ideas to carry me well into the last half of the month, by which time I was positive I'd come up with some more ideas to keep me going after that. Sunday night I was at 16K words and had used up my last idea.

I was worried.

Turns out it was the best thing to happen to my little novel. Taking my own advice (see this thread Nov 5, 12:18pm), I tried "changing gears." I started writing about where I was at and where I wanted the story to go, and how I might get there... and suddenly characters, new characters started to appear, wanting me to tell their stories. Well... no, actually Talbot kind of wished I would have kept shut about his particular story, but.. let's just say he deserves to have people know he's not perfect at EVERYTHING he does.

My story was heavy on dialog - and I realized that was weighing me down, so I changed and started writing a story instead of dialog. And it occurred to me that I can always go back later and edit the story back into dialog, the way I think it has to be. I thought I'd convinced my inner editor to go on vacation, but it turns out he was still there lurking over my shoulder. I kind of told him my plans to just fix everything later, and... I think he's gone, now. I think he's in Acapulco.

Now I'm at almost 21K words, still with no real story ideas, but confident I'll come up with something next time I sit down to write.

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. - G. K. Chesterton

I hit a wall Sunday as well. Or maybe Monday, but progress had slowed to a crawl before I got stuck, so I can't quite remember where the wall was. After a day, I skipped to the next section, jumping over the stuck part. The next section was blank, so I sat down and wrote about my character, whatever came off the top of my head, and one thing flowed into another. I'm back on track.

There's still that hole I jumped over that will need to be filled in someday, but sometimes starting someplace else will get you going again.

I'm not stuck but I'm worrying that I'll get to my novel half done before I get to 35,000 words, where I want to be before the main character has to move home with mommy and daddy and the resolution starts.

But I have enough meetings and activities that she can repeat some as that day of the week will come again so she can do another class, etc. plus I have a couple friends and boyfriend who disappeared from the story (she's been recently broken up with the boyfriend, no explanation other than that and a girl she likes and works with got laid off before she could say goodbye; there will be a joint lunch/dinner in the works and the boyfriend could come back and make up, help her move, etc.).

I hit the wall with a thud on Monday. Suddenly I didn't want to look at my novel or write. I would come home from work and read Nanowrimo posts and look at web sites about writing and ghost story ideas, etc. but I couldn't get my self to write or even look at my story. This lasted until tonight.
Tonight I decided I would freewrite and see what happens. Well, it is now an entry in my FMC's journal. Also I added more to one of my scenes and now my characters have finally experienced their first kiss, with the interruption of my FMC's little sister. So I now have 11433 words. I'm very pleased. Freewriting really helps alot. It unblocked me.

Barb

Cups of Coffee: Too Many!
Chocolate Candy Bars: Lost count
Word Count: Growing at a turtles pace, which may be good.
Times I wanted to give up: 10, so far...
The weekend is coming, this has been a long work week!

I think I hit the wall on Day 3. Before that I was going great guns and then it all just broke down and started to falter. For about a week I was struggling to catch up and failing. I think I'm now through that, and I have several scenes to write where I have a good idea what happens so it should go faster.

2005 In Back of the North Wind WINNER!
2006 Leopard's Paw WINNER!
2007 The Old Straight Track (finished) WINNER!
2008 The Other Side of the Wall (finished) WINNER!
2009 Dark Inheritance

My characters shoved me into the wall yesterday! They were discussing why the problem I had handed them couldn't possibly solved, and I realized they had convinced me.

No way to get through or over or under that wall. So I declared it invisible. I stuck in a row of asterisks and leaped briskly over them to the first scene as they return home after solving the problem. (Not that I made their lives any better, bwa ha ha ha. What came next was the Discovery of the Body - I'm writing a mystery.) Later, either this month if there's time or in December, I'll go back and figure out what to do about that plot hole.

Basically, when you get stuck pick the next scene you have a good idea of how to deal with and write that.

I realized my main female character is in the middle of wallowing in teen drama (and she's a grownup!) She seriously needs to get over herself. So, that's one reason I think I'm hitting wall on the 14th and 15th. I worked around some of it, picking up back story for my main male character, but I'm struggling to get over the 23K line. This is apparently what I get for picking up a character I last visited as a teen... :-) She DOES have a sense of humor. Now I have to figure out how she got it so I can track how she evolves.

(A few minutes later) So I just had my male main character chew her out and tell her to grow up!

You have cut yourself a shape on the air -- Christopher Fry

I've hit the wall and slid down it!

Main reason - throat infection.
What am i doing about it? I went to the doctor's today and got some antibiotics.

At least i can sit at the computer today and read the forums :D

Seriously though, i am unable to write. My brain seems to be full of cold treacle and cotton wool!

Prue

I took the night off. The whole night. I was tempted to just grab the laptop and bang out a thousand words or so. I resisted. I felt guilty all night long for what I wasn't doing. I watched TV. I stared mindlessly at Alex Trebek as I answered (questioned?) bits of trivia. I fell asleep watching some guy call everyone he met a liar.

It's too early to tell, but I woke up this morning.... thinking... you know what? That might have been a productive night after all. Yesterday I couldn't stand the thought of writing another cruddy chapter. Today I'm convinced I'm going to write something great.

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. - G. K. Chesterton

Hit a wall yesterday--just couldn't write another word. And I only have 8 days left. So I went on Trip Advisor Forums and checked out the Amalfi Coast threads. I did that all day while watching crap on tv (even worse crap than what I am writing) so that made me feel better and I got back on the horse today, so to speak.

It's 1:17 AM, I just made a bowl of popcorn, and since I don't have to get up at any specific time in the morning, I am going to try to write til 3 AM.

I can't believe some people are already finished! yikes! (and a grudging congrats!)

I've hit a very specific sort of wall this time.

I know what i want to write...it's just that i'm putting off doing it.

My heroine has to be kidnapped, and at some point hit across the face (*winces*) and roughed up a bit...not too much. And then taken to a kasbah and locked in a room.

I've already written the escape bit :D
But i just don't want to do the being bashed bit. She's not knocked out or anything but...it's difficult.

How anyone actually kills off a character i fail to understand!

Amazing the things i've learned writing this stuff so far

Prue

Yes, Prue. I know what you mean.

A few days ago I wrote my first fight scene. Re-reading it yesterday I discovered that my hero threw one punch, one measly punch, before I switched POV to his comrades getting away. My fight scene consists of one sentence and one punch. Wow. Big deal. So I worked on it for a while - it now consists of three sentences :>(

I'm also going to kill off a baddy. He's going to be found lying on his bed, eyes open and staring with a long thin bladed sword through his heart skewering him to his bed. I've known this for several days, yesterday I got as far as his discoverer getting his hand on the bedroom door knob . . . before I left it to visit a friend. The scene still isn't written. Which may (or may not) explain my poor word count. Ho hum

And I can't even blame a throat infection for my poor performance. Hope you're feeling better and the antibiotics are working.

Trafalgar

Good idea of yours to read the fight scene through.
I felt as if there was a lot of horrible stuff but there probably wasn't. Well, it will have to wait a while. By 30th Nov i want a rough outline of the whole book so i can go back and edit and expand.

Interesting that you can actually see the scene you want to write. Grit your teeth girl and go for it :D
Not necessarily a poor performance. You're just not wanting to commit that scene to words for some reason. I wonder why?

Once i got started it wasn't nearly so bad as i thought. In fact, she was hit across the mouth during the kidnapping. I thought it had happened in the kasbah. But no. Writing this book has been full of surprises!

And yes, i'm feeling a lot better thanks. Coughing still but the antibiotics are obviously doing their job and i've had 2 nights of fairly good sleep.

Hit the wall? You don't know what hitting the wall is. You look at my word count. THAT's hitting the wall.

Yeah. That's hitting the wall.
Looks like you hit it so hard you need some resuscitation!

Prue

I was FOUR. WHOLE. DAYS. AHEAD. and went off for a weekend, came back still one day ahead of quota, but now I'm SPLAT against the wall. I even know why- but not what to do about it.

My plot revolved around 5 deaths in one family (historical); once those were accomplished I'd lost my rudder. I've had to resort to inserting chunks of exposition. I'm back on schedule. . .

But I feel like the story told itself and NOW what do I do? I've already tried taking a break; having a houseguest; and going to meetings. Nothing much is working. I'm up to quota, but really don't have a plan.

I'm about to commit the dread urge to insert multiple flashbacks!! Eech. . .

I'd clean house for a week to get my momentum back! hope somebody else has an idea to share.

==Marjorie

I hit the wall at 17,000 words, took a day off from writing and spent that day looking up bits and pieces of the 17,000 words already written on wiki and other sites. That got me back on track.
Was also amazed at how much information there can be about some things that I had allotted very little spavce to in my narrative. EX: I have an unaccompanied minor (a VIP of a secondary character) and there's an amazing amount of data on that except I couldn't find what the UM tag looks like, the one they make kids wear in airports and on flights.

Oral tradition is like Chinese whispers, so what you end up with probably bears little resemblence to the original tale.

In terms of word count, I am doing ok. In terms of coherency, I am waaaaaay behind.