Writers Block for a scene- advice needed

DeadlyByDesign

Hi guys



Bit of advice needed here.



I am writing a graphic novel (still on the first draft), thestory has been humming along at what is the main characters origin story. Ihave hit a massive bump in a certain scene that basically is going to be thecharacters/novel central plot mechanism. By bump I mean the words just wontcome out on the page no matter how long I stare or brainstorm. Is it advisableto start another part of the story further on to take a break from banging myhead against the wall?

DeadlyByDesign

no idea what is happening my spacebar. Apologies for the hard read

alfa beta

****ty place to be.

Nothing worse than a blank page staring at you.

I hit the same thing myself on a few occasions recently when putting together the first draft of a novel (the non-graphic type)

I tried on some of those occasions to do what you suggested and jump ahead a bit and write a different 'section' of the story. The results of such an approach were mixed.

Firstly I found that the bits I wrote - the new bits as it were - were crap (in that they were subsequently revised to such an extent that they pretty much disappeared entirely). However they did provide some element of forward momentum and acted like links in a chain that previously didn't even exist.

So I guess, from my experience, it is worth jumping ahead - but only so as to create a place to get to. You will still find it hard to come back to where you're blocked now and you will still find hard to write that part - but at least it won't feel as much like being stuck and more like just being delayed in getting where you're going to.

A puncture instead of complete engine failure, if you know what i mean.

DeadlyByDesign

Great advice and thanks. It's just annoying. I know how I want the scene to go, I know the main plot triggers and what I want to hit on put the words just wont pour out onto the page.

Ill have another bash at it tonight and see if anything has changed.

alfa beta

god i'd love if words poured out on the page.....

a slight trickle and I'm happy!!

Pretzill

What I do is write a sentence to summorise what I want happen - it could be the end line or just a series of directives - then I'd move forward and come back to it and join the dots!

EileenG

Try writing the scene as an e-mail.

We often have a mental block when it comes to the big scenes, and can't make ourselves get into them, while we have no trouble sitting down and walloping out e-mail after e-mail.

So write it as an e-mail, either telling a friend what you are going to write in this scene, or even better, as an e-mail from one of the characters to someone else.

Rubecula

Something that often happens to me too. I go away to another story and try to forget it .... then suddenly when I don't expect it, it comes to me and it slots in nicely.

hcass

That's great idea Eileen - thank you.

Inari

When you get stuck remember that writing is easy - you are the one that is over complicating things through standards, creative processes etc. Creative people are some of the worst for self-inflicted problems...you become overly critical for something that is admittedly a first draft, and thus you start looking for perfection and you know what? It just won't come.

If you're having problems with words, just write anything. Transpose a page from a book, describe your story in a summary, write an outline for a different story etc. Then go back to your current work, look at the scene and write from where you left off.

Are you drawing the graphic novel as well? If so why not storyboard the scene, and describe what you see in front of you, then fill in the blanks. It's easier to correct words on a page, than create with nothing in front.

Yes 90% of what you write is crap, but who cares? Rewrite it for the second draft. Concentrate on moving forward, and edit as you go rather than sticking in one place looking to have a finished product first time around. Ever find something you wrote when you were younger? It irks you, amiright? Why, because it is the same thing as what you're looking at now - you think you can do it better. Eventually though, you just have to go with what you have...otherwise you'll never get anywhere with it.