Stale Ideas

"I'm stuck at this one point in my story which is blocking me to go to the next part, but the problem is the ideas I find myself thinking for that one point just don't work!"

I have hit this barrier a few times and usually find that it's either because 1) the characters have wandered off into a situation that they cannot handle and have no solution or backup that wouldn't involve them turning into a "Mary-Su / Garry-Stu" type of character or 2) the event is misplaced.

What I normally do is take a copy of the story file and put it somewhere safe. Then I completely delete the problem scene and/or preceding chapter and re-write it using a different scene which could achieve the same link. If anything else needs sorting out, I will generally leave it to my dreaded red pen at the first edit when I can see it in context having read through the whole story.

This may or may not work for you, but I hope that it might give you some ideas to try out.

Dear Amanda,

I like Jennifer's suggestion, and I hadn't thought about it that way.

I get writer's block too.

Indeed, I've written 1 complete 1st draft after leaving aside 2 other 'first 3,000 words' novels/novellas/whatever.

Perhaps some of your story could fit into another story; it may sow the seeds of another.

Check out short story competitions, too. I entered several this year.

I try and do lots of reading of different genres to get charcterisation or plot or style ideas; I've been reading Jonathan Frantzen, Dickens, Fleming (Ian), Victor Hugo (Les Miserables no less) and have started, simultaneously, another Dickens, Fleming and Madame Bovary.

Adrain made a good comment too, so I need to find a fellow writer and stroll along Nevsky Prospeckt about wrtiing, and how expensive greatcoats are, what with winter coming.

Best of luck

I agree with, Jennifer.

Malorie Blackman writes a synopsis on her characters before she starts to write her novel.

Examples like, race, ethnicity, class. Whether they are male or female, young or old. If they come from a normal or a dysfunctional family.

Whether they have had to suffer illness, poverty or bereavement. All the things that could define a characters actions.

By writing a thorough character analysis she knows exactly how her characters will react to any given situation.

Actors do the same to get the feel of the part they are to play.

It's important to feel and know the function of yor characters.

Amanda, it is good that you have the ending to your novel. It gives you a target to aim at.