How to get un-stuck when writing (part one)

If you ask around, you may get a great heap of different suggestions on finding that runaway muse, and honestly, it's all about finding the tools that work for you. So discard some advice and keep whatever works for you. Suggestions include taking a break, writing something else, or playing video games. Of course, I'm joking about that last part; that only leaves me yelling at my TV, wasting half the day trying to beat some high-level boss.

As flooded as the Cybernet is with tips, I have tried to pinpoint the things that helped me get "un-stuck" in hopes there might be a tool or two that can work for you. So no hard feelings if you choose to discard some or all of my suggestions - I promise.

The first tip is probably one you've heard before. It's about writing something else. I tend to have two to three projects going simultaneously, ensuring they're all at different stages in the writing process. Some are finished outlines, bare-boned, and with a thousand plot holes. Others might have gone through several reads and are closing in on something that's starting to feel right. The last is close to query ready. If I'm stuck outlining, my head caught in a counterproductive loop, it helps me jump to another kind of writing. Maybe the fine-tuning part of your brain can help the outlining part recover. Then, when you feel this new brainpower starting to wither, you can go back to where you were before, the previous brain cells hopefully having recovered enough to help punch the keyboard a while longer.

Another thing that's worked for me is to skip to a scene that excites me. Put the scene you're working on to the side, and fast forward to one you look forward to writing. For me, it's always the action scenes. I love writing them, and I love the rush it gives me. Once you've got the excitement of writing back into your system, return to where you got stuck. Maybe you'll find yourself knowing exactly where to go from there.

I'm sure you've heard it before, but it's worth repeating. Go retro. Seriously, dig out that old paper notebook and write using long hand. If you chucked all your pencils back in 2020, reach for that phone I'm sure lies two inches away and start typing. You can even use the vocal function on your computer and open some AI power to do the typing for you. Get different parts of your brain working by using different ways to get the words out. Don't be afraid to change things up.

Not much for calligraphy? Then draw. Yeah, still with the ink and parchment theme here. I draw a lot and tend to draw when I feel stuck on characters or word building. The sketches often show me quirks and personalities I didn't know existed until I saw them on paper.

This is my last piece of advice for Part One. Write down your questions. Write down what it is you're unsure about. It can be as simple as, "Why am I getting stuck here?" It could also be more specific, like, "Why is my main character acting like this when just having met this other character?" Sometimes a scene feels wrong. Write that down. "Why does this scene feel this way? What's missing from it? Exactly where is it losing tension?" Under each question, write down suggested reasons for them. You might find an answer staring right back at you.