My friend Robyn writes through her problems--when she gets to a chapter that's difficult, she writes what she can, then moves on with the knowledge that she'll come back to the other chapter later and fix it.
I think I've got it mostly figured out now, but this is a problem that's been holding me up for over a week. Which leads me to ask:
When you have a problem in your plot (such as getting a character from point A to point B) do you stop writing until you figure out how to solve the problem, or do you just skip it, carry on with the story, and come back to the problem later?
11 comments:
I'm currently working on my first novel, but when this happens to me I tend to do a variation of skipping the scene or chapter that's being difficult. I call my technique "blue text". I usually switch my text color to blue and italicize it (so it's really noticeable later) and then write a quick summary of what I think is supposed to happen at that point. It usually ends up sounding something like, "He does this and runs into this person. Then he ends up here... blah, blah, blah..." I like this method because if I know a couple pieces of cute dialogue or anything else specific that I really want in the scene, I just make a note of it here and then move on.
So far this has worked for me because usually later in my writing the characters let me know what I missed before.
Hope this helps!
I stop and brainstorm and figure something out. After all, it is a first draft. And the brainstorming alone can result in amazing things!
Congrats on the new novel!
I like Willow's reply, I think I may steal, uh, utilize that as well. My usual method, though, is to start on yet another project, and come back to the first one when the second project slows down. The two different projects give me a fresh perspective when I go back to the first one, and one time the two projects became one, turned out it was just a different chapter of the same story.
I have to brainstorm to work it out. But, during Nano, I skip ahead to keep the flow, and I was able to come back and fill things in later successfully, so both techniques work for me.
Like PJ I stop and brainstorm - sometimes doing a bit of free writing in another document as I try to puzzle it out.
Update: I've finished that chapter! I toyed around with the idea of doing what you suggested, Willow, but for some reason I just couldn't keep going. I really wanted to just go back to that part later, but my mind wouldn't continue the story without filling in the blanks! It took me almost all day, and I'm not happy with what I have, but I know I can strip that part down to the bones and revise it later. At least I got that character where I needed him to be!
I ditto the brainstorming. But I would also look at different persepctives and scenario's too. I wouldn't just brainstorm how the character can get from point A to point B. But I'd also think it may be a good idea to brainstorm alternatives for point B. Does point B REALLY have to be what you've set in your mind to be, or is your charater trying to tell you that you need a different place. one that won't seem contrived or forced.
Good luck! Let us know how it works out!
christy
You never said you were starting a new project! For shame. And I'm so glad you're through it. But for my two cents, I am also one that has to have SOME sort of patchwork together, no matter how rough. Heck, it could be completely off. I know it is a first draft and I am probably going to be rewriting it multiply times (my current story has gone through eight drafts (so far) and has had half of it be rewritten three of those times). I need structure. I can't work in a black hole. :)
Glad you figured it out, Beth. For the record, I'm a skipper. I like that approach because it makes you work on the entire book all at once and your voice is more consistent that way.
Christy--Such good questions...I do usually get caught up on the little details and really need to just move on!
Heather--Yup! I can't help myself...usually about 3/4s of the way through one book, I start brainstorming another one!
Davin--I try to skip, but just can't seem to do it...argh!
I stop and work it out, because what follows is going to have to grow out of it. For someone who follows a pretty detailed outline, it might be different.
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