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Blocked amidst the meat of a story

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Kamina

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I seem to have trouble finishing a story. I keep archives of outlines and other various articles of interest regarding writing to stay inspired, but that never works. I try taking a break from writing for a few hours or a few days, but the will to write seems to fly away. Any tips, suggestions, or tongue lashings?
 

Cybernaught

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Sometimes, when we run out of steam, the only way to finish is to slog through it all. I find it often helps to return to earlier scenes that are working, and re-writing them. Simply returning to a familiar rhythm helps me to get back into the proper train of thought. You might want to try switching mediums too. For instance, if you are typing, try writing by hand or using a tape recorder. Change your location, read a book, watch a movie. Sometimes little differences can have big impacts. I hope this helps.
 

Arkie

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Some writers of "how to" books suggest writing the ending first, set it aside and write towards it. In one novel, I first wrote three endings, then when I got to the last chapter I had some options on how to proceed. Makes it easy to finish.
 

Wesley Kang

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I find that the hardest--and best--thing to do is keep showing up. If you out-stubborn your writer's block, inspiration will come. Just don't let the block win. Work on a different project, refine the part of the story that you know you're going to keep, do something other than wallow in self-pity. I know it sounds so simplistic, but writer's block is only in the mind. Write and keep writing!
 

scot184

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Get out and live! I find that when you go out and get involved, you pick up on so much. You see things, you hear things, new ideas abound. Before you know it you'll have a to-do list of things to write about. If you have a smartphone, be sure to jot down ideas on the fly...that's what I do, otherwise I'd always forget.
 

mieshe

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Write the bits you want to write. Dislike the scene you're currently on? Type a quick outline of the scene (eg. MC STEALS BABY, BABY CRIES AND TURNS INTO AN EVIL ALIEN, MC RUNS AWAY)*, and move on to the next scene you want to write. That way you get through the WIP faster, and you can go back and rewrite the skipped scenes once you've reached the end.

*I should totally write that story.
 

bearilou

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Here is a little trick I have found that gets me past that 'stuck here and what do I do now' point. Incidentally, when people first hear of this, they poo-poo it. "Can't possibly work. I'm BLOCKED I TELL YOU!"

At this point, I tell them, what do you have to lose? :)

1) Take the last couple of pages you wrote, print them out.
2) Now, take a leap of faith and delete them. (you still have them printed out so you haven't really lost it! You've also backed up in several different places, right?)
3) Start where you have printed off, and retype it back into your document word by word. Don't cheat and just paste it back in! You have to retype it exactly as it was written before and printed out. Don't edit as you go. Just retype word for word exactly. The trick is to concentrate on the retyping, not editing.
4) Once you're at the end of the current words, you may find that you want to keep writing and the words will continue to flow.

When I do this little trick? It has worked. If in that small percentage of chances it doesn't, I know there's something else that's keeping me from writing but so far...yep, has worked like a charm

If you find it doesn't, well, what have you really lost? Just the time to do it and the ink and paper you printed on.

To save on supplies, I don't print it out. I split my wordprocessing screen with my novel-in-progress on one side and a blank doc on the other. I cut and paste the two 'cut' pages into the blank doc, delete them from my novel (making sure I have saved it elsewhere in the event of computer/electrical failure). Then in my novel-in-progress document, I retype, since it's right there on the other half of my screen.

The theory is still the same. By the time you've finished retyping, your brain is freed from that glitch that held it fast and you should be able to just keep typing.

I've found this to be a big help, I hope you find it as well.

Good luck!
 

Layla Nahar

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If you have a lot of unfinished stories collecting dust, I would suggest making your goal finishing, and just finishing the next story, and the one after that etc. (I think it might add to your struggle to go back & finish the unfinisheds.) But, say you get about 75% finished and for whatever reasons figuring out the ending has become some kind of struggle. In this case I suggest coming up with whatever you can that will allow you to continue the narrative till it gets to 'The End', even if the events and the language you come up with are lackluster, embarrassing, poorly written etc. Put the focus on the act of finishing and set aside the quality of how the finishing happens. The only condition is the writing continue to be in narrative style - eg that all the way to the last word, it still sounds like a story.

I read a book called 'Art and Fear'. This book gives the example of a pottery teacher who graded one class on the *quality* of pots they made, and the other class on the *quantity*. Which class do you suppose ended by being able to produce better pots? The class that was graded by quantity. My point about your stories is, finish this one and get to the next one, quickly. Eventually your writing system will gain comfort with finishing, then you can work on how nice the story is, once you are used to finishing.
 

Bracken

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I often have the end of the story in mind even before I start.
When you do it that way, it's just a matter of slogging through to reach the goal.
I may not know the middle, but I usually know the beginning and the end before I write one word. Then it's just a matter of connecting the two.
 

Saturn

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Sometimes it helps me to work on something else. Something not writing related. I'll balance the checkbook or wash the car.
Sometimes I'll go out and my favorite bar will provide inspiration. :) That is part of why it's my favorite.
 

Celesta

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This is kinda silly but it seems to be one of the only things that works for me. I announce to my friends that it will be finished on ________ and then make a date with someone who is willing to read it on that day. If people are expecting it to be done and someone will ask "so, where is it?" then suddenly I can write. Suddenly I can get it done.
 

BlackMirror

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Total opposite of me. The first stages of my novel are hard to complete because setting up the major action is so boring, when I really want to get to the exciting parts.
 
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