Veronica
asked
J. Leigh Bralick:
Have you ever had difficulty continuing a story after you've written the beginning? Like, struggled to know where it should go next, or been completely lost as to the direction that need to be taken? I ask because I began a story, and I find myself at a loss for what should happen next and I'm wondering if you have any remedies/advice for this predicament?
J. Leigh Bralick
Great question! The answer is yes, definitely yes. I have a whole pile of story openings that I've set aside because I haven't gotten around to figure out more than just the basic idea.
Sometimes I just jot down what I've got and file it away so I don't forget about it, and hope to come back to it later with new insights. But usually, when I get stuck on a book I'm dead-set on writing, it's because of one of two things. 1) I don't understand the conflict well enough, or 2) I don't understand my characters' motivations well enough (protagonist and antagonist).
In those cases, what I do is sit down and just start writing every. little. thing. I know about the story. I write pages of back story. I write histories of places and bloodlines. I write mythologies (no joke!). I write detailed personality profiles of every character, major or not. And usually, as I'm doing this, something will just kind of click and I'll just start furiously scribbling out all the new insights I'm getting, and sometimes that's exactly what I need to kick me back into gear.
I think this happens because characters have to spring from their world naturally, and the conflict has to spring from the characters. So if I'm not fully understanding the world or the characters, I'm going to really have a hard time understanding the conflict and the motivations.
If all that fails (because let's face it, sometimes we just get stuck), I'll either edit what I've already written, do some artwork for a mental break, or maybe work on a different project altogether. Maybe read some old favorite books. I try not to let that angsting about last too long, though, or things get even worse.
Also, I'm generally a "pantser"...I write by the "seat of my pants" instead of being a "plotter"...someone who writes detailed outlines ahead of time. I like the surprise of seeing what the characters do on their own, as long as they don't get too out of hand. ;) But I find that sometimes going through something like a 12-point story arc outline really helps me see where I'm getting hung up. Brainstorming with a creative friend is also really helpful. Sometimes other people have insights into how things in your story should work out that you can't see because you're so close to it.
Okay, I just wrote a novel as an answer. I hope some of that helps! If you need a sounding board or any more specific advice for your story, feel free to message me any time. I'm happy to help however I can!
Sometimes I just jot down what I've got and file it away so I don't forget about it, and hope to come back to it later with new insights. But usually, when I get stuck on a book I'm dead-set on writing, it's because of one of two things. 1) I don't understand the conflict well enough, or 2) I don't understand my characters' motivations well enough (protagonist and antagonist).
In those cases, what I do is sit down and just start writing every. little. thing. I know about the story. I write pages of back story. I write histories of places and bloodlines. I write mythologies (no joke!). I write detailed personality profiles of every character, major or not. And usually, as I'm doing this, something will just kind of click and I'll just start furiously scribbling out all the new insights I'm getting, and sometimes that's exactly what I need to kick me back into gear.
I think this happens because characters have to spring from their world naturally, and the conflict has to spring from the characters. So if I'm not fully understanding the world or the characters, I'm going to really have a hard time understanding the conflict and the motivations.
If all that fails (because let's face it, sometimes we just get stuck), I'll either edit what I've already written, do some artwork for a mental break, or maybe work on a different project altogether. Maybe read some old favorite books. I try not to let that angsting about last too long, though, or things get even worse.
Also, I'm generally a "pantser"...I write by the "seat of my pants" instead of being a "plotter"...someone who writes detailed outlines ahead of time. I like the surprise of seeing what the characters do on their own, as long as they don't get too out of hand. ;) But I find that sometimes going through something like a 12-point story arc outline really helps me see where I'm getting hung up. Brainstorming with a creative friend is also really helpful. Sometimes other people have insights into how things in your story should work out that you can't see because you're so close to it.
Okay, I just wrote a novel as an answer. I hope some of that helps! If you need a sounding board or any more specific advice for your story, feel free to message me any time. I'm happy to help however I can!
More Answered Questions
Veronica
asked
J. Leigh Bralick:
Does "The Madness Project" exist for sale anywhere in hardcover? Amazon has only paperback.
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