Heidi M. Thomas, author of Cowgirl Dreams, checks in with a post on how to get through the swampy part of your story to the wonderful rolling meadow of a scene that is sitting on your head, just waiting to be written.
One idea she suggests: Take the story out of order.
She writes:
But wait. Who says you have to write in a linear fashion? What if you write out of sequence? Aha! Now, you’ve given yourself permission to write the scene from your head and it flows wonderfully. Another Aha! Questions and solutions actually appear about how the character might have arrived here from there. You’re not stuck any more.
This is a wonderful counterbalance to my advice, which is much more brutish: Just write. Even if you know it’s utter crap. Even if you know that never in a thousand years will it hold up under the rewriting/revision stage. Even if you know that you’d rather dive naked into a swimming pool filled with razor blades than publish such pablum. Just write.
Both approaches have merit — the just-write ethos is mostly a product of my journalism training, where not writing is not an option — but I think Heidi’s suggestion is more elegant, and it probably has the potential for more pleasant surprises as your story bends inevitably from its original conception. Either way, be prepared for the retrofitting you’ll have to do. Heidi’s approach may require some extensive rewiring of scenes that you’ve already written. Mine will wear out your delete key.
2 comments
Comments feed for this article
September 16, 2009 at 12:15 am
heidiwriter
I agree with the “just write” theory of writing as well–I’m not an outline person. But when I get stuck and can’t figure out how to get from B to C, sometimes writing a scene from E helps me figure out the problem.
Happy Writing!
September 16, 2009 at 9:25 am
kristentsetsi
I just recently pulled myself out of the sludge. I’ve thought about going out of order, but something just won’t let me, and I don’t know why. I’m more inclined to sit around NOT writing, just waiting for the day I can push myself through, than I am to skip ahead.
However, something in me tells me skipping ahead might be a great idea. Not only does it get you writing, but it might make you think of something you could have/should have/meant to add earlier that actually PULLS you through the tough scene.
Someday, when I grow up, I hope to utilize that technique.