Stop Being Stuck
Why doing the same thing and expecting different results is.....not productive
I work with a lot of writers who reach out for help getting their manuscripts into shape in order to approach an agent or an editor. I give them very specific steps that help them meet the very specific standards of an inscrutable industry. It is sometimes a lot. Most times it is. I will say that most all of my clients feel like I’ve understood what they are trying to accomplish and that I’ve found the things that aren’t working. The places they are stuck.
And they always tell me the same thing-I had five beta readers look at this and none of them found what you found.
Change is essential
If you are constantly following the same process and never getting the results you hoped for, something has to change. Or someone.
But also, be careful who you trust with your work. Writing is sacred. I’ve always believed that. Treat it carefully and treat your process with care. Be selective and purposeful in seeking help.
One client told me that during a critique he was told to be less specific in his details. He was writing a speculative fiction piece and the scene we were working on was an assassination with weapons from the world he’d created. I asked him why he didn’t describe the tools of the trade, so to speak. To help inform about the character himself. To entice the reader to read on to know more.
He told me that a prior critiquer told him to be very generic in his descriptions because otherwise it bogs down the read. I told him we can talk about pace later. You don’t want the writing to be so dense the reader is reaching for a dictionary (or Chat Gpt as they do these days) or Googling details to figure the scene out. There is a very simple and streamlined way to add details without slowing the narrative. You always know more than the reader, of course.
But when John Wick arrives in his 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, I want to see him slam it into drive before he speeds off (although it would have been awesome if it was a manual transmission IMHO). I want to hear the Russian mob boss’ son try to buy it for himself, and see John Wick turn him down. In Russian. It tells me about both characters. Plus, I want to know things. Knowing things is fun.
Readers are smart and want to to be invested and the best way to do that is to show who the character is. From the weapons they use, to the type of coffee they drink. Or Bourbon. To the lipstick they where. The audience wants a million points to connect with and it’s our job to give them that.
Remember your reader
Many times writers fall in love with the sound of their own writing. Brava! But also, beware. Kill your darlings wasn’t invented in a vacuum. Some of my best writing gets sidelined into a document that houses all of my orphaned paragraphs that no longer serve the story I am working on. It feels good to stash those gems in another file-I’m not getting rid of them, just moving them out of my way.
Plus, if I’m being honest, most times when I feel like I am being so inventive, I find later that I was being overly dramatic and not grounded. Trust your feelings, but verify. Measure twice. Cut once. What other cliche can I use?
But many times, the problem with a manuscript is simply that it is the only thing a writer has worked on. For years. Years. That is the definition of stuck. And can lead to a preponderance for unmotivated tinkering. Should you polish and refine your work? Absolutely. But not as a means of avoiding the tough things. Of avoiding rejection.
Fear is the biggest reason people get stuck. Not just in writing, but in all things. It’s hard to put your work out there. It’s hard to trust and to hand it over, but hand it over you must. So that you can work on the next thing.
Be constantly creating. That’s where the magic lies.
When you are feeling inspired, your writing will flow.
That doesn’t mean you’ll end up using that writing. Or selling that book. But, no writing is wasted. It all leads to something. It unlocks pieces of your mind, body, and spirituality that you don’t always access. It makes you open. And that leads to good writing. Maybe even great writing.
Write fearlessly. Write continuously. Write one book then write the next and the next and the next. I just started a book about a mermaid and the ghost she’s in love with. Started out fantastic. But then I thought, what if it’s just a girl who loves a ghost? Why not try that on for size. So I rewrote it that way. And you know what? I like it better. I may one day do the mermaid thing, but for right now and for the foreseeable future, it will the girl and her ghost. Until I decide I want it to be something else….
I am not advocating jumping from project to project. Finish everything you start. Honestly, that’s better than what I did. But if you do pivot, go all in on that one. Flex different writing muscles. Stay open. Be inspired.
Being stuck means no forward motion. Books need propulsion. So do authors. One of my professors at Spalding University where I got my MFA in Creative Writing told us, follow the heat. She meant in your work in progress. Wherever the energy takes you, that’s the road your story should travel. If you can do that, then you can bring your readers along with you.
How not to be stuck?
Free write—let the words flow without any self editing.
Shift-there is some science that backs this. The brain works better in novel situations. Forcing yourself to have BIC(butt in chair) for long period of times working on one thing can make you feel stuck. Shift to another project. Shift to marketing. Shift to a new seat/situation. Or….shift to entertaining yourself(Netflix time, baby). You’ve heard of filling the vessel?
Write to entertain yourself, asking questions along the way that will offer delicious discoveries for readers. Why did my character do that? What are the consequences? How will this change their story?
Reread what you’ve written and see if you’ve written yourself into a corner. Fix that. Maybe there’s something that feels ‘off’ in what you’ve written. Try to focus on the feelings or energy that the writing is giving. If it’s off, can you figure out how to change that?
Keep your book on your mind. It doesn’t have to be front of mind, just there somewhere so that when the Universe provides answers to plot holes or for when you write yourself in a corner, you are free to receive them.
Carry a notebook, use the Notes app on your phone or the Campfire writing app to record questions or inspiration that hits you when you are away from your project.
I try to do all of those things as I embrace this new version of a writing life. One where I allow myself to feel inspired by staying loose, open, and receptive. By being grateful. By honoring my process. Meanwhile, read on for recommendations from my private batch of inspo.
What I’m watching:
Sirens. Finally. Taking it slow, though. Not sure how this one is making me feel.
Nine Perfect Strangers, Season 2. Loved the book and the first season on Hulu. It’s hard to match the energy of that first season, though. Cautiously optimistic.
Traitors UK Season 3. Love Claudia’s lipstick in this one. It’s by Mac M·A·CXIMAL SLEEK SATIN LIPSTICK in Fleshpot and is ridiculously affordable which is really refreshing for such a commercial show. Also, the entire show is just pure fun, even if it reminds us how easily people are led and ready to turn on each other. At least there’s the fun clothes and make-up in a beautiful castle!
What I’m reading:
My gym read: Assistant to the Villain. by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. It’s fun to run to.
My I’m so into this read: The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman. I have loved every single book by this incredibly immersive author. Every genre. I salute you!
My grounding read: Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties by Elijah Wald. I am obsessed with this man. Lyricist. Outsider. I feel that on some level, I get him but maybe that’s incredible hubris. Or maybe that’s his plan.
Until next week- I wish you easy writing that makes you feel free and definitely not stuck.