forum Tips on getting past a block

Started July 04, 2018 by @kat_i_am

tune

How do you guys get past a writer's block?

Gah, I hate writer’s block! The best strategy I have found is either to skip to a different part of the story (one that interests me) and come back to the blocked bit later, or to ‘brainstorm’ ideas for my characters.

Usually it ends up being quite a silly list of ideas, but sometimes a way to get from the stuck plot point to the next plot point opens up.

I haven’t used this, but I came across this site on Pinterest: http://cerey.github.io/fighters-block/# I’m thinking it could be good for when I just need to get words down on paper (screen) and not worry about constantly editing every. Single. Word.

I've used fighters block before, honestly it just stresses me out.
I know where I want my story to go, but I also…. IDK I just reached the end of a scene and a chapter and I'm ready for a POV switch and idek whose pov to use and whether or not I should include this one scene, like how necessary is it really and even if I write the scene, again, whose pov? And like…????

Maybe consider who will have the most agency in the scene and/or whose perspective you want the reader to view it from. By that I mean, if it’s like a big fight, you’d want to hear it from someone actively fighting, making choices, experiencing emotions, not some onlooker just observing everything. And in a fight, do you want the bad guy’s POV or the good guy’s POV, the experienced soldier’s POV or the plucky rookie’s POV, it really depends what you’re going for.

How many POVs does your story have? If you do write this scene you can always choose to not include it later. Do you mind me asking what kind of scene it is?

Sure! I'm working on the second book in my trilogy. The first two books alternated between 2 perspectives, the 2 protags (plus a few extra chapters for a subplot told from a third perspective). However, I'm opening this book's pov to more characters- I have the 2 protags (a boy and a girl from earth), 4 deuteroganists (but the fourth I'm not gonna use bc it won't serve the purpose), and the subplot perspective, which also isn't applicable for this scene.
The characters are part of a rebellion against an organization called the "Benevolent Committee" (spoiler alert, they're not benevolent, and really, only one guy is in charge so it's not really a committee either, now that I think about it). Their rebellion was just sanctioned by the king (who just learned about the BC), so they're going around to diff towns recruiting people for their rebellion and preparing them for a war, since the Head of the BC just declared his intention to take the throne (so he's a traitor to the crown, and I'm blanking on the word, but like… the person who tries to take the throne??? Idk I've forgotten the word. It'll come back eventually.), and they anticipate a war if they can't get rid of the committee soon enough.
They are in the first town, they got the town leader, Diana, to announce a town meeting that evening. In the meantime, they're going to rest at an inn. I want to skip the inn scene, I think it's irrelevant and I can't get anything super good in. But IDK if I should write the town council, how well it could set me up for the rest of my novel?

SO long story short- 5 POVs to choose from, and a possibly irrelevant scene that I need to decide how useful it could be.

I think if no new plot elements are introduced during a council scene, you don’t need it. Like, if they’re just informing people of the BC and recruiting people, you’d be retelling old news. UNLESS you actually haven’t written much in story about what the BC does, in which case, this is a great opportunity for information without the dump.

If a new (and important) character is introduced in the scene, then you might want it too. Otherwise you could just provide a quick summary of necessary details of the council in whichever next scene is appropriate. OR, you could have a scene that’s the beginning of the council, and cuts once whoever is explaining matters starts explaining, OR a scene that begins when matters have finished being explained and the next course of action is being decided.

As for the POVs, 5 is a lot, so I can’t really help with which one… if you do go ahead with the scene, I would choose the POV that’s most perceptive to the reason you include the scene. Like, if it’s to introduce some characters, choose the character’s POV that will have the most to do with those characters, or the POV that’s got the best insight into people. If it’s to decide on the next course of action, choose your best brainstormer, your ideas man (or woman). Idk if that makes sense but I hope something here helps. :)

I think if no new plot elements are introduced during a council scene, you don’t need it. Like, if they’re just informing people of the BC and recruiting people, you’d be retelling old news. UNLESS you actually haven’t written much in story about what the BC does, in which case, this is a great opportunity for information without the dump.

If a new (and important) character is introduced in the scene, then you might want it too. Otherwise you could just provide a quick summary of necessary details of the council in whichever next scene is appropriate. OR, you could have a scene that’s the beginning of the council, and cuts once whoever is explaining matters starts explaining, OR a scene that begins when matters have finished being explained and the next course of action is being decided.

As for the POVs, 5 is a lot, so I can’t really help with which one… if you do go ahead with the scene, I would choose the POV that’s most perceptive to the reason you include the scene. Like, if it’s to introduce some characters, choose the character’s POV that will have the most to do with those characters, or the POV that’s got the best insight into people. If it’s to decide on the next course of action, choose your best brainstormer, your ideas man (or woman). Idk if that makes sense but I hope something here helps. :)

it does, thank you!!