There are times when writer’s block slams us with the inability to progress. A flat scene is fixable, but an empty page with no fresh ideas numbs the creativity. It might be the overwhelming responsibility of getting the whole story on the page. Maybe a specific scene is difficult to build into the criteria you have in mind. Here is what it might look like to use this strategy: 1. Start with just one verb. One action that the whole scene is about. Verb: Choose an action word to describe what is happening or what your character is doing in this scene. Examples: running, hiding, chasing, abandoned, etc. Let’s use the word abandoned for this exercise to build a scene. Here is what it might look like to use this […]
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Idea Sparking Your Way Out Of Writer’s Block Strategy #2
There are days when nothing about a work in progress seems to flow. Your goal requires another scene and you are stuck. All you need is that little spark to get you writing again. One strategy for finding an idea spark is changing the scenery. Many times it is easy to get stuck in the same locations for your scenes and it makes creativity dry up. 4 Ways to Find Idea Sparks By Changing Scenery: 1. Scenery by Mood. Try writing one word to describe the mood for your scene. Once you have determined the mood, find a place you could use in your story location that would build that mood. Think of what time of day would best suit the mood of the scene. Then find objects and characters […]
Read the RestIdea Sparking: Getting Out of Writer’s Block Strategy #1
Every now and again that dreaded moment for every writer descends over your manuscript. You can’t shake it, no matter how hard you try. You’ve got writer’s block. There are no words appearing on the page and your brain is experiencing dead air. Writer’s block can paralyze you and leave you stranded in a particular dilemma in your manuscript unless you put some strategies in place a head of time to stave off writer’s block. Idea Sparking Your Way Out of Writer’s Block Strategy #1: Research Wait just one minute, you say. I did all of my research at the beginning of the story. Now, I’m writing. True you WERE writing, but since that has ground to a halt, doing a bit more research could get you back in print. […]
Read the RestBrainstorming Strategy #7 – Brainstorming Stakes
As you begin to write each scene, determining the character goals is essential, but without stakes the goals will have no impact on your reader. What are stakes? Stakes are simply what your character has to lose if they don’t reach their goal. What will or won’t happen for your character if they miss their goal. Stakes help to build the conflict in your novel and make your reader care about your character. If the reader doesn’t care, the book is set aside unfinished. How do you brainstorm stakes? Identify Goal Determine why it matters to your character. Determine why the goal should matter to your reader. Identify Goal In order to develop stakes that work in a scene you must decide what your character’s purpose is in the scene. […]
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