As a creative writer, I’m amazed when I can turn on my focus, edit my hopefully soon-to-be-finished manuscript for three hours, look up from my keyboard, and find myself in the same paragraph.
Where does
my mind go for those hours? When I’m in the writing zone it feels like an
alternate universe. I know I’m world-building and developing fully fleshed out
characters who behave in a logical and plausible fashion. True, sometimes their
decisions and actions are wrong, but that’s what makes them human. As the
writer, my job is to create the plot, and the plot needs to be plausible. No
divine intervention or dropped secret correspondence or lucky guesses.
I heard a memorable quote once: "The brain that painted you into the corner is the same brain that will get you out of it."
I finished
the second draft of my third NOLA Mystery on Saturday, July 19th. I
was humming along nicely and finishing the final fifty pages when I hit a Big
Snag. Suddenly, the developing storyline became too tightly wrapped. One
character was sharing information that she could not have known. I spent a day
trying to fix the knot when I realized that I was too focused on finishing the
book that day. I needed to give myself some breathing room to allow my
subconscious time to play with the idea and come up with a solution.
So, with the deadline
looming over me like the sword of Damocles, I took a day off and played hooky.
What did I
do? Regular human things. I went for a stroll around the lake in the park and
enjoyed a particularly beautiful summer’s day. Grocery shopping at a distant
market. Laundry detail. I cooked a real dinner. And then, on Sunday when I sat
down to work I had my answer: Put it off for a day.
I edited my
plot and my timeline to give my characters an extra day in their investigation.
It was more realistic: Coroner’s departments and lab results don’t normally
operate at the speed I was insisting on. That delay (and subsequent character
frustration) added additional realism. That extra twenty-four hours also gave
my characters 1,000 words to catch their breath. To sit down with each other
and discuss the investigation. The pros, the cons, the ‘what could have
happened’, the ‘whodunnit,’ and the ‘what could it mean?’.
And since I
was letting that plot point gel, I followed some other writerly advice. I worked on
my ending and then I edited my way backwards from the ending to where I was
stuck. What I discovered was an easy fix: I had duplicated the knotty plot
point later in the story timeline where it worked better. Correcting the issue
was easily done. I hit delete.
I’ve made a
note of this writerly hack for the future. Next time I find myself wound too
tight, I’m going to take a step back, pause, and look at the bigger picture.
Instead of trying to micro-fix the problem right then and there, maybe the
answer lies somewhere later on the page.
Do you ever lose
yourself in your writing? Do you have any tricks for getting unstuck?
Congrats on finishing that draft. I routinely assign my subconscious tasks (figure out ...) and let it work on its own. Solutions will come during a run or in the shower or at three in the morning (when I have to right it down, because otherwise I'll forget and as far as the subconscious is concerned, it's job done).
ReplyDeleteGood morning, Jim! I've discovered solutions and strangely enough good dialogue while going for long walks. Something about keeping my body busy and distracted frees up that creative part of my brain. I also keep a pen and a stack of index cards on my nightstand because - as you say - otherwise I'll forget. Write on.
DeleteBeen there, done that, have the t-shirt, Martha. Usually when I'm stuck, the answer isn't ON the page. Instead, it's something going on behind the scenes. I need to check in with my other characters who don't have a POV, especially the villain and/or red herrings. Usually, what they're doing unseen impacts what needs to be happening within the story.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing the book!
Thanks, Annette. It needs a final polish but at least it's all there. Your remark about what's unseen being impactful is right on. Once I give some thought to "what really happened that terrible night" (which is my prompt) I can move foreward with my protagonist(s) actions. If that doesn't work I try going through: Who, What, Why, Where, How, and When. Hey, whatever works!
DeleteI step back and have a date with the secondary characters until something shakes loose. And CONGRATS!
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret - I remember the first time this happened to me. I was stuck at a plot point because my main characters had nothing to say. So in my mind I looked around the room to see who else was there and I saw his sister. I asked her was was going on and she let loose and gave me a whole new chapter!
DeleteLove the quote!
ReplyDeleteI usually start working on something else & leave the "stuck" portion to the characters to work out. And they do.
And try explaining that to a non-writer - LOL!
DeleteAgeee that when stuck, step away. Often I try to write a short story.
ReplyDeleteHi Debra - good morning! I use short stories as a refresher especially between novels. I think they focus and/or use a different creative part of my brain. Speaking of which, I'm working on one now.
DeleteExcellent advice. This is going to sound strange, or maybe not. I talk to my characters. They often know what’s wrong earlier than I do.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the latest!
I’ll be in real trouble if mine ever stop talking to me. It’s the oddest part of creative writing (versus other arts like dance or painting) where do the voices come from?
DeleteLove this! I think it's so important to give yourself a little "down time" once in a while. Unfortunately, mine has lasted months...
ReplyDeleteHi Lori - I give myself permission for lengthier time periods when I run into life. I like to think that my unfinished story ideas are simmering and the extra time will make them extra tasty. I hope this helps!
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