Writing yourself into a corner

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Writing yourself into a corner

by Saffronica @ 2008-06-22 – 17:46:03

Don't you just hate it when you write yourself into a corner? Nearly two years and I still have no idea what to do. I should actually say what I've done...

I've been trying to write a high fantasy story and I think I've got carried away as at this point, the story can follow one of three characters.

One has got herself deep in the forest with an evil horse for company, one a magician who has just buggered off to his room and an elder character is contemplating how to test a young acolyte to see if he can do something that might help... something.

I write blind you see, just start typing and let the imagination go nuts, just get them down on paper, worry about making bridges to make sense of it all after the bulk is done.

Doesn't help it that I'm still stuck. Argh, it's so frustrating!

Do you do anything to help when you're stuck? Any unusual techniques of some sort? I need a bolt of lightning to jar this block of mine!
Options:

6 Comments to Writing yourself into a corner

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- The_Walrus ^Pro
- http://www.doctor-dark.co.uk
- 2008-06-22 @ 20:00:25
An awful lot of fantasy trilogies read as though they were just written without a plan of any kind, don't you think?

Here is a web site about planning a novel, that seems to make a lot of sense.
- - Saffronica
  - 2008-06-23 @ 21:23:15
  Hi Walrus, thanks for that link. I've never heard of the Snowflake method before and I think I should have a crack at it. I've got nothing to lose!
  
  I've read the whole article and he does make sense and I laughed at the 'seat-of-your-pants' remark
  
  It's quite bizarre as I'm really quite an organised person (spreadsheets are my friends). Will definitely have a crack it it.
  
  Thank you very much!
  - - The_Walrus ^Pro
    - http://www.doctor-dark.co.uk
    - 2008-06-23 @ 21:35:56
    He even uses spreadsheets for one stage. If your book gets finished as a result of this, one free copy please!
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- SeasideMan ^Pro
- 2008-06-23 @ 00:05:10
The trouble with your writing technique is that you can end up with a poor structure. A plan of the major plot points and what the basic conclusion is, is pretty much essential before you start. You can also end up as you are now not knowing where to go. You aren't going to like the 1st of these suggestions, but here are two possible courses of action:

1. Throw away some of what you have already written and do it again. It's hard to do, but might be what you need. There may be a good reason that you are at a dead end.

2. What is your ending? You are at a place A now and you need to get to C via B. Do you know what B and C are? Is it even possible to get to B from A? If not, consider option 1 very carefully. If it is possible, play the author's "what if" game. Keep trying possibilities until you find a path to B. Then repeat from B to C.

The most important thing you need to decide now is whether you have hit a true brick wall resulting from your lack of structure. If you have, then you simply must throw away much of what you've already done. You might be able to reuse some of it, but you need to be hard on yourself. Very hard. Try and think how a potential reader would think, a specific reader, one person. What would they hope to happen?

I hope these thoughts are some help.

Tom.
- - Saffronica
  - 2008-06-23 @ 20:04:43
  Hi Tom, and thank you for the suggestions
  
  The first suggestion... I have done so, twice! I've re-read what I've written down so far, which is 5500+ words and you're right. Some of it... ok quite a lot of it is rambling and doesn't seem to make sense. I don't really want to throw this one out the window but possibly try to salvage the good ideas I think are in it.
  
  So far three people have read what I've written and all have said it is quite confusing but the idea of the story itself is good. They said they would like to read more which is really good news. I just need to have some structure.
  
  You have given some very good ideas that I will chew on and see if I can save it
  
  Thank you very much for taking the time out to offer your suggestions, it is much appreciated. I'll hopefully move this damn block!
  - - SeasideMan ^Pro
    - 2008-06-23 @ 21:45:04
    Glad to be of some little help. Getting your structure sorted sounds liek a fine plan, and good luck with it.
    
    Tom.
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