While sitting here, focusing on the next scenes before me on both projects (Project A, Novella and Project B, Novel), I contemplate why it is that I'm stuck.
Why am I stuck?
From mulling over my situation of Stuckification, there are two reasons, one for each project, and the reasons aren't too complicated.
For Project A, the Novella, the scene I'm writing contains something pretty bad happening to my heroine, and I can readily see that I'm holding back. I like her. Even though the story and the need for conflict calls for that something bad to happen, I care about her and an reluctant for her, and me as the writer of the scene, to experience the bad.
For Project B, the Novel, I'm winding up this first book in a series. Even though I know I'll begin the next book and will continue with the story and with the same characters, I seem to be holding on to this one. I'm enjoying and loving the story and writing this first book so much, that I don't want to let it go.
Okay, I have the why's worked out, so what can I do to be able to become unstuck or destuck?
To get past being stuck, I'll try the following:
- For Project A, I'll use a Lightning Draft technique and make a note, [MAKE MORE INTENSE, MAKE WORSE FOR HEROINE], and move on. When I come back to this scene in the second draft, this scene will have to be written. There's not going or getting around it, BUT in order to finish the first draft, I need to continue on.
- For Project B, immediately after writing the final scenes, I'll use Cathy Yardley's Rock My Plot method and create index cards for the possible scenes for the next book. There will be no pausing or downtime, just a diving straight into the the second book, so that I don't have to leave the story or part with the characters I've grown to care about deeply.
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