Posted In Plotting, Story Structure, Writer's Block, Writing
As a novice writer I had many false starts. My stories always seeded as characters. Great characters! Characters with tragic backstories, with interesting tics and colorful personalities.
So a man walks into a bar and…
Then what?
My mistake was this: I may have had a great character, but I didn’t have a story. (Yet.)
Even for the most ardent pantser, here are 2 plotting questions to fuel story, unstick you when you’re stuck, and turn false starts into finishes.
Posted In Creative Philosophy, Writer's Block, Writing
Recently, I heard this question:
“I want to write, desperately, but I have never written anything because I can never find the perfect idea. I’m afraid I will never finish anything because I will lose interest partway through. How can I pick the right project?”
It’s like being chased by a monster in a maze: when writing turns into a labyrinth of ideas where something terrible and unseen is always just around the corner.
We call it writer’s block.
But let’s be honest for a moment. Writer’s block is an emotional hypochondria.
Writer’s block is you.
