What to do when the story is stalled?

Jordygirl · May 27, 2007

Okay, question. I'm about 14,500 words into a YA story that is... *drumroll*... completely stalled. I have no idea where to go from here and no idea what to do. I love, love, love the voice of the MC so I really don't want to chunk the whole thing, but I also don't want to start over or go back to the first 5,000 words or so. I just want to keep going but I don't know how. (No outline, by the way, I never do.)
Any advice? What do you do when you hit this kind of brick wall?

glassquill · May 27, 2007

Jordygirl said:
Okay, question. I'm about 14,500 words into a YA story that is... *drumroll*... completely stalled. I have no idea where to go from here and no idea what to do. I love, love, love the voice of the MC so I really don't want to chunk the whole thing, but I also don't want to start over or go back to the first 5,000 words or so. I just want to keep going but I don't know how. (No outline, by the way, I never do.)
Any advice? What do you do when you hit this kind of brick wall?

Do you think there's a reason why you can't move forward from that point onwards?

I'm asking because it is possible that I might be coming up fast to said brick wall. I strongly suspect that it is because I'm dreading the prospect of writing a particular scene. So, I'm already starting to apply the brakes before I reach that point in my WIP.

maestrowork · May 27, 2007

Either slog through the mire, or write something else, whether that "something else" is another scene/chapter, or another project entirely.

The trick is to keep writing. Sometimes, when you're totally blocked on a project, it's good to just let it sit and stew for a while and work things out in your mind, somehow. Some people prefer to keep working on it, keep writing crap (and you're allowed to write crap) until something moves. Personally I like to let it go for a bit and write something else.

But really, the trick is to NOT stop writing. You have to write every day.

Bufty · May 27, 2007

What have your characters been doing for the last 14,500 words?

Are all their problems resolved?
Are all their relationships perfect and lovey-dovey.
No friction?

If there's no friction or problems left it's hard to see what story is left.

What is your story about? You say you are part-way into it which suggests you knew where you were going.

Can you be more specific?

Jordygirl said:
Okay, question. I'm about 14,500 words into a YA story that is... *drumroll*... completely stalled. I have no idea where to go from here and no idea what to do. I love, love, love the voice of the MC so I really don't want to chunk the whole thing, but I also don't want to start over or go back to the first 5,000 words or so. I just want to keep going but I don't know how. (No outline, by the way, I never do.)
Any advice? What do you do when you hit this kind of brick wall?

RLSMiller · May 27, 2007

Jordygirl said:
Okay, question. I'm about 14,500 words into a YA story that is... *drumroll*... completely stalled. I have no idea where to go from here and no idea what to do. I love, love, love the voice of the MC so I really don't want to chunk the whole thing, but I also don't want to start over or go back to the first 5,000 words or so. I just want to keep going but I don't know how. (No outline, by the way, I never do.)
Any advice? What do you do when you hit this kind of brick wall?

I hate to be the one to say 'I told you so,' but this is exactly the kind of reason why I outline. :Soapbox:

All I can suggest is to think of an overall plot for the story if you haven't already. If you're writing blind then there's not much to suggest... just keep thinking it over until you find some gold. If you're comfortable with saying, what's happened in the story so far? It would be easier to suggest a possible direction then.

Andre_Laurent · May 27, 2007

Ask yourself, what is the most horrible thing that could happen to my character at this point...then do it to them. Works for me.....and if you don't like it, cut it later...just get yourself moving with something.

Mel · May 27, 2007

Make something bad happen that your character has to deal with.

Write a little side story using your main character and a minor one, or make up a new character to interact with your main one. It may or may not work in your novel, but you never know. If it doesn't work it still might give you some insight to your character you didn't know was there.

Jordygirl · May 27, 2007

Bufty said:
What is your story about? You say you are part-way into it which suggests you knew where you were going.

Can you be more specific?

My story is basically about a girl (Kris) who lives in a small, Mayberry-esque town that she can't wait to get out of. Her best friend has just moved to Chicago to live with her dad and the guy she (used to) have a crush on is gone to California.
But Kris doesn't see a way out for herself.

When I started the story I wanted to start it with her pretty much loathing her town and small life (which I did) and then I wanted to end it with her appreciating the things and people around her a little bit more. Problem is I don't really know how to get her to that point and besides that I'm thinking that might make for a boring story. After all, there's no real "action"; she wouldn't travel or do anything exciting. I think the fear that it will be boring is what's kind of stopping me.

Andre_Laurent · May 27, 2007

Let her find a dead body in the woods, or in the basement of her house...that will liven things right up.

maestrowork · May 27, 2007

Jordygirl said:
Problem is I don't really know how to get her to that point and besides that I'm thinking that might make for a boring story. After all, there's no real "action"; she wouldn't travel or do anything exciting. I think the fear that it will be boring is what's kind of stopping me.

Then add action. If her fear is stopping her from doing anything, throw her in a situation in which she must do something -- or face the dire consequences.

If your protag is afraid of height, get her up on a tall building. Or better yet, let her fly a plane. If your protag is afraid of going outside her house, make it so that she HAS to leave the house... if your protag has a crush on a guy, then get them together in a situation in which they must work with each other... etc. etc.

When you write organically and character-driven, it's very important that you get your character in a situation and allow them to make decisions and then the plot evolves from their action/reaction/consequences. Sitting around feeling is not very exciting. And that's why you're blocked. Put them in a situation in which they must ACT. Action is story.

Bufty · May 27, 2007

Along the route to appreciating and realising what she left behind it seems to me she has to be driven down into despair and to suffer - be that physical or mental. She's got to encounter real people, conflict and real difficulties to awaken that realisation.

Beyond that, I can't help. But I'm sure plenty of folk can - just wait.

And if you are 14,500 words in without some unresolved issues/conflicts, I worry that 'boring' may already be rearing its head.

Good luck.

zornhau · May 27, 2007

Write a mock query letter.

OverTheHills&FarAway · May 27, 2007

Jordygirl said:
My story is basically about a girl (Kris) who lives in a small, Mayberry-esque town that she can't wait to get out of. Her best friend has just moved to Chicago to live with her dad and the guy she (used to) have a crush on is gone to California.
But Kris doesn't see a way out for herself.

When I started the story I wanted to start it with her pretty much loathing her town and small life (which I did) and then I wanted to end it with her appreciating the things and people around her a little bit more. Problem is I don't really know how to get her to that point and besides that I'm thinking that might make for a boring story. After all, there's no real "action"; she wouldn't travel or do anything exciting. I think the fear that it will be boring is what's kind of stopping me.

Perhaps someone new can come to town (a mysterious attractive boy drifter) who has lived so many places he doesn't really have a sense of who he is or what defines him. Through her escapades with him and whatever problem he brings to the town (cuz there has to be a problem, story is about problem), she realizes how good she has it in her little town with people who love her.

Or perhaps she runs away to Chicago or California or something. And misses her home terribly, comes home to find the town has changed. Then she realizes it wasn't the town, but her. She grew up or whatever. Became wiser.

Maybe some evil corporation comes to town and threatens to change it forever, and she tries to stop it and save what she never knew she loved.

Read What's Eating Gilbert Grape by Peter Hedges. Honestly, that's the first thing that popped into my head.

Angelinity · May 27, 2007

drop it for a while.

file the characters. use them later.

if you don't have a plot, you're probably fighting windmills -- that's been done

Siddow · May 27, 2007

It sounds like what you need is a natural disaster that destroys her town. Hurricane? Tornado? Flood? Earthquake? You need to kill off nearly everyone she hates (but really loves) and shove that poor girl out on her own.

From what you've said about it, I'm thinking Wizard of Oz.

RLSMiller · May 27, 2007

Just to add, if you're going to throw disaster into the laps of your characters, make sure it actually brings out character progression and it isn't too ludicrous. Creating action just for the sake of action will just make it seem wooden, artificial and transparent.

aadams73 · May 27, 2007

If I get stuck it's a sign that I've tried to force the story in the wrong direction. Back up and figure out where it goes off track.

Stijn Hommes · May 27, 2007

aadams73 said:
If I get stuck it's a sign that I've tried to force the story in the wrong direction. Back up and figure out where it goes off track.

I agree with this one. You're probably blocked because you took a wrong turn somewhere. Try a outline/brainstorm combo: Write down what happened so far and take notes about what could've happened at each point instead of what you wrote. Somewhere in there you'll find a good idea on an alternative route to take.

Linda Adams · May 27, 2007

If I get stuck, I look at the last couple of chapters. Often, what I find is that something in those chapters isn't quite working right. Maybe the chapter doesn't have a goal/reason for existing; it went in the wrong direction; etc.

rwam · May 27, 2007

Me? This is where I would punch in some backstory for a change of pace and bridge some impending conflict.

MattDempsey · May 27, 2007

If you want to demonstrate that the small town where everyone knows your name, loves mom's apple pie and where nothing ever happens is the place the your MC truely desires you have to confront her with the opposite.

If she is too timid to go out into the big bad world then let the big bad world come to her and her community: that boy comes back from California a heroin addict, her best friend catches a bullet in a hit and run in Chicago and comes back home in a wheelchair.

Was it Chandler that just wrote ' a man walks in holding a gun' whenever he was stuck. Its worked for me the other night got me out of a hole and I carried on banging away on the keyboard like a demented monkey.

Drop a bombshell on Kris and her community, it might be the making of them. What if a levee breaks, something that brings everyone together through adversity.

JoNightshade · May 27, 2007

I vote for having her leave. Maybe she runs away with a well-traveled guy who seems new and interesting, only to discover that the people who really care about her are these boring, nosy people in her hometown.

Boy, nothing made me appreciate my own little Mayberry more than going away to college and coming back to discover it had been overrun, coopted, overbuilt, and totally ruined by tourists. Stupid tourists.

Jordygirl · May 27, 2007

aadams73 said:
If I get stuck it's a sign that I've tried to force the story in the wrong direction. Back up and figure out where it goes off track.

That's usually what it means for me too... just that this time I can't seem to find the place I went off track. I do like all the mysterious stranger/leave town/natural disaster ideas though and I'm contemplating using one of them. :snoopy:

job · May 27, 2007

Hmmmm ...

It sounds to me as if you don't know what story you are writing.
20,000 words can be spent in setting and characterization.

You've got all these folks assembled on the stage
and nothing for them to do but mill around.

One way to generate story would be to go to the ending.

Where do you want to end up?

Who is your protagonist at the end of the story?
What has she accomplished?
Why is she happy ... or sad?

When you know where you want to end up,
(and by that I don't mean geographically, I mean in your character's soul,)
you can maybe figure out how to get there.

alaskamatt17 · May 27, 2007

I like the suggestion to write the ending and then work backwards from there to see what will get your characters there. I haven't tried this yet, but I was thinking about it the other day and it seemed like a good way to make sure a story gets finished.

What to do when the story is stalled?

Nothing doing.

RB's favourite chewtoy

Fear the Death Ray

Where have the last ten years gone?

Never be completely back to normal.

Nothing doing.

Fear the Death Ray

Where have the last ten years gone?

Swordsman

McNifico

absent

I'm super! Thanks for asking

A Work in Progress

Know what you write...

Soldier, Storyteller

has finally arrived

Nothing doing.

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript