Friday, August 18, 2017

Plot Writers Block


This month we have another fun topic for our group. Thanks Rhobin. When you are stumped on moving a plot line forward, what do you do to reinvigorate your imagination?
So many things flashed through my mind. If I’m into the story and writing a lot, the plot tends to pull me forward, but If I don’t know my characters well enough, or I’m trying to make them behave in a way that they don’t like, I can run into problems.

Knowing that when I’m stumped, I first I take a break, go for a walk or work in the garden. Then before I go to bed at night I think about where I’m stuck and ask for help. If I’m lucky, during the REM sleep and as I wake up I’ll get an answer. If not I go back and spend time with my characters, getting to know them better and how they act in certain situations. I back off, rewrite the last challenging scene and find once I let them act the way ‘they’ want I can usually move the story forward.   What do you do? 
Can’t wait to hear what others do.

Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
A.J. Maguire 
http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Anne de Gruchy
https://annedegruchy.co.uk/category/blog/
Skye Taylor
http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Victoria Chatham
http://www.victoriachatham.com
Marie Laval
http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/
Judith Copek
http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Dr. Bob Rich
http://wp.me/p3Xihq-137
Helena Fairfax
http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Fiona McGier
http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Heather Haven
http://heatherhavenstories.com/blog/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com

10 comments:

  1. Stepping back and letting the characters do the work is a good idea. But, as you say, you have to know the characters really well. I've collected several interviews from different authors that they use to interview their characters. It's amazing how much you can learn about your heroes when you start asking questions instead of dictating their lives.

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    1. I agree. And there are so many different questions you can ask, depending on what you're trying to find out.

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  2. I've also tried asking a question before going to sleep, Beverley. It's worked on more than one occasion! And I totally agree about having to know your characters. I've written scenes and then had to delete them because I've later realised the character just would not act in this way. I enjoyed your post!

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    1. Thanks Helena. Don't you love it when you wake up with an answer?

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  3. During sleep is when a lot of my best plot ideas emerge. Lots of scribbling on notepads at 3am when I'm in the swing of things...

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    1. I agree Anne, but can you read them in the morning? I find sometimes it takes ages to try and figure out what I wrote in the middle of the night. :)

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  4. It's amazing how many good ideas have been presented and yet we all tend to do similar things! Enjoyed your post.

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    1. Thanks Rhobin. And it is always interesting to find out what others think that's similar to my own thinking.

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  5. Sleep is where most of my stories come from.Now I'm on a med that knocks me out so I must work to find a story. It's a pain. Great post!

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  6. Thanks Charmaine. That's a shame about the med that knocks you out and interferes with the thought and writing process.

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