Writer's Wednesday: Thinking it through

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My writing updates are starting to sound a bit like a broken record: still trying to wrap up the rewrite of A Coastal Corpse (unless it turns out to be Hydrangeas and Homicide), still struggling, and still not finishing or submitting any new short stories. I'm working hard to cut myself some slack about this, given how much is going on in my life.

Instead of talking about all that (though it might be a good little sermon about cutting ourselves some slack when life makes it hard to be a writer), let's talk about what to do when a plot point just won't come out right. All suggestions and opinions welcome.

See, I'm still not happy with my vision for the end of the novel, even though part of the reason for the complete rewrite was to make that all just flow as smoothly as chocolate over the rollers in the Ghiradelli factory. (Can you tell I'm also largely off desserts?). At this point, I have two approaches I keep trying:

1. Just keep writing dreck and hope that the real story will emerge somewhere, 

or

2. Go for a walk and hope that inspiration will strike.

I'm making bits of progress with each, though the problem may be the length of the walks (I'm in training, which means looooong walks, leaving me too tired afterward to write). Not doing very well with sustained writing.

So please, share with me all your tips for what you do when a story gets stuck (if you aren't a writer, share what you do to keep yourself on task when your mind is going in a thousand directions). I may not use them all, but you never know--your technique may be the one that breaks the logjam!

Meanwhile, enjoy a couple of pretty pictures.



©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2022
 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated.
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Comments

  1. Rebecca M. DouglassMay 11, 2022 at 9:09 PM

    I agree about the breaks, but feel like all I've done for months is take breaks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lisa FriedenMay 12, 2022 at 12:03 PM

    Nice pix - love to see the different environment of the Northwest! I wish I had some advice to offer you, but my "break" has gone on now for more than a year...

    ReplyDelete

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