Hey Story Crafters,
Happy (almost) Halloween! đ
To follow up on last weekâs post on ways to stay inspired during the writing process, I want to share some tips I use to help keep writing when I run into scenes and/or transitions that are hard to write.
The worst thing that can happen during the writing process is getting stuck on a scene, decide to step away from the writing, and then⊠not come back to it. (This is not an unfamiliar story for most writers. Itâs happened to me several times, too.)
Writers usually stall during the writing process because they donât know what happens next in their story. After all, you canât write what you donât know.
One more time: You canât write what you donât know.
When you stall in your writing, you have two options:
Stop writing, or
Keep writing.
Option 1 is the easy way out. Itâs tempting to dress it up as âIâm taking a break to think through possible sequences of events,â to justify the break as a brainstorming session. But if you donât write down what youâre brainstorming, then youâre brainstorming wonât do you much good. Youâre not doing productive brainstorming.
So, how do you figure out what you donât know? By writing what you do know (i.e., Option 2). This might mean changing your writing approach. Below are some ways to try out.
1. Change the point of view.
If you, the writer, doesnât know whatâs going to happen next in the story, usually your main character or POV character doesnât either, because as the writer, you are both part of and separate from that character. If that sounds a bit confusing, itâs because POV is a confusing topic. To try and clear it up a little moreâas the writer, youâre immersed in the main character (or POV character) because you need to know everything about that character to write about them. You feel like a part of you is in that character, but that character isnât you.
The bottom line is this: because you have tunnel vision for this particular character, neither you nor the character knows what will happen next.
The solution to this problem is to switch POV characters. It doesnât matter if the character you switch to is one of your POV characters (if your story has multiple POVs). And even if your story is told only from your main characterâs point of view, this exercise is still helpful.
Switching the POV gives you another perspective on the events happening in a scene. It gives you new insight into the scene. Regardless of whether you use this new POV character in your story, what this new character observes or thinks about your main character(s) can help you write the scene from the POV character the story is actually being told from.
2. Start the scene earlier/later.
Sometimes youâre entering a scene at the wrong time.
You might be starting to write where the action starts, when itâs the lead up to or aftermath of this actionâthe context around the circumstances of this action and the characters involved, as well as character reflectionâthatâs more important for the story and character development.
You might be starting too early, and itâs taking a while for the characters to get into position for the action to happen.
You might be starting too late, and the character(s) involved are reflecting on a new truth or realization (i.e., character growth) that hasnât been shown yet through action.
Try switching up when you start writing a scene, and the transitions between scenes. It might lead to a spark that helps you get back into the writing groove again.
3. Write only in dialogue.
This can look like: 1) Characters having a conversation or 2) The main characterâs (or the POV characterâs) internal dialogue.
1) Characters having a conversation a.k.a., Talking heads
The âtalking headsâ effect is one writers need to watch for during the editing phase. This effect is caused by dialogue (lines of dialogue) without dialogue tags or physical action. It gives readers the impression of disembodied voices floating around in a scene with nothing to anchor those voices.
However, during the writing process, this âtalking headsâ effect can be useful as an approach to help you keep writing when youâre struggling with a scene. You might not know what, exactly, is happening in the sceneâwhat the characters are doing, or whatâs happening around them. But if you know what theyâre going to say, or what they need to say in this scene, you should write it down before you forget. When you reread the dialogue laterâeither during your next writing session or several chapters laterâyou might find it easier to discover the missing parts that will ground the dialogue into the scene.
2) The main characterâs (or the POV characterâs) internal dialogue.
As mentioned earlier, you, the writer, are very intimately linked to your main character (or POV characters). Even if you donât know a lot of the specifics about a sceneâfor example, you might not know the setting but do know the actions that need to happen, or vice versa; or you might know the characters who are in the scene, but not what theyâre doingâyou might know what your main character is thinking, feeling, and/or doing in the scene. Again, write everything you can about what you know about your main characterâs perspective on the scene. Then, like with the âtalking headsâ approach, youâll be able to fill in the gaps of the scene later.
4. Write only in action.
This links to the previous point of writing only in dialogue. You can choose to write only in dialogue, only in action, or combine both dialogue and action. In other words, focus on writing what is happening in the scene, without worrying about what the main character (or POV character) is thinking or feeling while this action is going on.
5. Use a placeholder, and keep writing.
This has been hinted at in earlier points, but itâs important enough to be its own point.
If all else fails, brainstorm possible scenes and transitions that could work in that part of your story. This can be a brief summary of what you think should or needs to happen in that scene you canât write yet, or however brainstorming looks like to you. This can act as a placeholder, and let you continue writing.
Possible transition example: Characters leave the house and start traveling to a trading town two days away.
Possible scene example: Characters A and B argue about which direction to take. Character A wants to follow the map, but Character B insists he knows a short cut. Characters C and D seem reluctant to add their own opinions.
For me, this technique helps me discover what those unknown scenes need to be. By writing what I do know, Iâm able to discover what I donât knowânot just for future scenes, but for earlier scenes that I used placeholders for.
This is where the Header function in Word can be a useful tool.
These are just some tips and tricks I find useful in my own writing. This is by no means a complete list. Do you have any tips or tricks of your own? Share them in the comments!
To wrap up this post, I want to thank mystery author and freelance editor and proofreader Debbie Emmitt for mentioning my editing business in her fiftieth joint blog post! She had an open post on LinkedIn, where she encouraged freelance editors to respond to three prompts to better inform authors about the editor side of the writer-editor relationship. Here are the questions with my responses:
What is your single biggest challenge when editing?
Specifically for a developmental edit: Making sure I address the authorâs areas of interest and/or concern about their story in the editorial letter, so the feedback is actionable but doesnât overwhelm the author.
What do you wish authors knew about the editing process?
That editing takes time. Editors consider a lot of factors when determining the return date for a manuscript. For example: the manuscript length, the condition of the manuscript, the type of editing requested, and how much time an editor can dedicate to editing each day (e.g. stamina-wise: how long an editor can read off a screen and make effective edits).
When an editor estimates a return date an author thinks is âtoo longâ a timeframe for editing, these are some of the factors the editor is considering. Remember, editors are people too!
What is your biggest worry when returning edited work to a client?
That the author feels overwhelmed by the edits and feedback, especially if a manuscript needs a higher level of intervention.
Authors: Donât get overwhelmed! For me, at least, the more edits and feedback I give means I really enjoyed your story, and Iâm excited to help you polish it into the best version it can be.
Thereâs also a writer version of this post, where writers respond to three prompts to inform editors about the writer side of the relationship.
Have a spooky Halloween! đ»
Best,
Leah
P.S. To my email subscribers: Did you notice the typo in last weekâs title image? This just shows that editors are human too, and sometimes we miss typos that should be obvious. This is especially true when an editor slips into tunnel vision, and focuses only on a specific detail or part to editâwhich means, sometimes, other typos or small mistakes slip past.
P.P.S. Yesterday I was shown a video of The Simpsons version of Edgar Allan Poeâs âThe Raven.â James Earl Jones does an amazing job narrating, and it really sets a spooky tone that suits Poeâs words.
Interested in learning more about me, and the kind of energy Iâll bring to a writer-editor relationship? Subscribe to this newsletter (itâs free!), or check out the archives.
Are you searching for an editor to work with on a completed (or soon-to-be-completed) manuscript? Get in touch! Iâd love to hear about your project(s). Iâm looking to work with authors of:
Fantasy
Dark Fantasy
Science Fiction
Horror