What do you do when you're stuck?

[Kittykir1129]

If the story is otherwise flowing, usually I just need to meditate or do dishes or leave it alone for a day. If it's not... I have one story that just won't cooperate. I haven't figured out how to get past that block.

Last night I slept on the question of what to do in my next scene for my current story. And woke up in the middle of the night with the answer. That is both awesome and super annoying when you are trying to SLEEP!

Read While Waiting to Wake | Tapas Web Community

[Leyelle]

Often times i'll start writing anyway, and come back to it the next day to see what was worth keeping in the writing I did, and there is often something good in it that I can still use. Other times, I'll work on another story, or just start daydreaming about the characters. The more time I spend thinking about them, the more ideas that come to me for the story.

Like in this chapter, I didn't know what to make happen next after the scene in the hospital, so I just wrote the nightmare, which not only ended up in the story in the end, but also inspired the portion of the second book I'm writing right now (literally today.)

Read Damsel in the Red Dress :: Sticky Black | Tapas Community

[kyupol]

It depends... any of the following
1) meditate / pray
2) listen to radio shows
3) listen to music
4) exercise (just light cardio or weights. Cant go heavy or ill be tired)

[BoomerZ]

Find something boring and mindless to do. Mowing the lawn, walking, etc. Something you have to do, takes no brain power, and then daydream. Being bored is the best way to come up with stuff. Music, tv, movies, etc entertain you. They don't allow you to try and entertain yourself.

[Kittykir1129]

That's excellent! If I just right anyway, I usually end up throwing away most of it..

[Leyelle]

well sometimes you throw away a lot, but often you'll find at least a few things you can keep that can inspire the rest of it, and build from there

[Kittykir1129]

I've done a lot of those! We must all think alike.

I learned this technique once where you write down a bunch of words that come to mind. You don't censor them, you just write them down. Once you have between 3 and 5 words, you start mining your subconscious by asking it questions. And you answer with yes, no, or maybe. Until your ideas start flowing.

So let's say one word was winter. Yes your subconscious, is it about snow? No. Is it about the color white? Yes. Then you start asking yourself what you associate with white or something like that. Lace? Maybe (meaning yes, but not quite). Dresses? Maybe. Then you go and tell you hit like wedding dress. Yes. Yay! Any more for this? Nope. Move to the next word.

I've had some awesome things come out of this exercise... And I've had some horrible things come out of this exercise. Fortunately, as a writers, we can choose what we actually use.

[Kittykir1129]

That's true! I have done that as well. It's just not one of my go-to's cuz it's not consistently dependable.

[Leyelle]

Yeah, everything works for different people. I've found trying to work on something works better for me to be able to find an answer. sometimes it comes to me later when i'm not thinking about it, but I think having sat down to work on it at all keeps my mind from forgetting about it, and it starts trying to solve it subconsciously.