So this weekend, I'm NaNoing away, it's late at night, same old same old, yada yada yada. Then Sunday morning rolls around and I have a few minutes to spare, so I sit to write a bit.
Before I write, I like to read what I've already written. It helps me to a) figure out where the heck I was in the story, b) fix any minor errors, and c) get back into the voice. So I start reading. And reading. And reading.
And it's awful.
It's bland, the characters have no personality, and worst of all, there's no conflict. None. Zilch. Nada. I've noticed this happens to me when I have story in mind before character. It's harder for me to write the beginnings. I flounder, because for me, beginnings are all about personality. If the character doesn't grab you, the story doesn't have a chance. When I have character first, the middle becomes the problem. (But that's a post for another day.) Anyway...
Then I had a breakthrough. It happened when I was wandering around my house, fending off the latest Pokemon attack by the five-year-old. I had my soundtrack on repeat (and it's only fourteen songs long right now, so let me tell ya, it was repeating), and one song in particular came up. This song.
This was one of those songs I put in the soundtrack because it felt right even though I didn't have any specific story element relating to it. I thought it might apply to my hero, but I was wrong. It's not his song. It belonged to someone else.
It doesn't sound like much of a revelation, but hoo-boy was it. Once I figured out who owned that song, a whole bunch of things that were wrong rearranged themselves and I got two major components my heroine had been lacking: internal conflict and motivation. These are good to have for a first-person POV character.
See, I had the plot -- the external conflict -- but I didn't have the character. I knew what she looked like, but I had no idea what she wanted. This song brought that to me. Well, not alone...this other song helped.*
And that's why I love my soundtracks.
What do you do to get unstuck?
*Sorry there were no proper videos for these. Some days you just gotta take what you get.
I'm writing my first actual novel and am just pantsing it like crazy. I have no soundtrack, no artwork, nothing but my brain, which is churning out the words like water from a waterfall.
ReplyDeleteBut I am having problems with conflict and action (lots and lots of dialog). I know I'll be cutting out detritus and writing new scenes later. I think for me, for this first one, I need to just get it out of me before I think too hard about the structure and craft stuff. At least, I'm hoping that's how it works!
good luck to you on working through yours!
You know, I did the same at first, but added the rest before I was done (over several years). I think the first novel is all about finding what works.
DeleteSo glad you came unstuck. Cool songs for a soundtrack.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy!
DeleteYaY!! I'm glad things are working themselves out.
ReplyDeleteI find things like that happen in the discovery process I'll put somehting on the board for no reason and later on it's "Ah ha!".
Congrats!!
I find I'm not particularly visual until later, and even then. Crusie's collages are a wonder to behold, but they make me do the puzzled-dog head-tilt. :) It's nice when it falls into place like that, though, isn't it?
DeleteYeah, the collages don't work for me either. I hope to someday graduate to an outline, or even notecards.
DeleteI tried the collage thing ( on computer) but went back to what I've always done, which is just collecting placeholder photos and making simple ppts of them.
DeleteI'm so glad you were able to get unstuck! I had a similar problem with my current WIP. I was just thinking about the chapter I'd written at the time, and going through all my notes on Scrivener. And I liked what I had, but it just didn't seem to be enough. So then I started thinking about the query letter. What would I write to make my book seem interesting/readable/fresh? And I had absolutely no idea. Which is when I knew I had a big problem.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the best way to get unstuck is to ask myself questions. (Or my husband or one of my CPs ask me questions...yay for being one of my awesome CPs!) Then I just basically churn my brain until I come up with the answer.
And now I'm thinking that's a boring answer. But it's the only one I have, so oh well!
The brain churning is a good thing for me, too. Especially if I can have alone-time brain churning, which is why I do so well in the shower. (That didn't sound right.) I'm not so good with the questions out loud, though. I find, the more I talk about my story out loud (before it's done) the more ridiculous it feels to me. I'm much better corresponding by email or cogitating on my own.
DeleteThe query thing is good, too. I find it helpful if I start my idea in query form. It gets revised several times during the writing, but it's a good way to keep the idea distilled and focused. And it's not a boring answer. :)
I have no answer for the unstuck, other than sometimes shit just comes to me. Finally. It took me until now to figure out a major plot point for my hero, and I'm almost done. Things to get better at....
ReplyDeletesnapsnapsnapsnapsnapsnap for Ray's jazzgroovy song. It made me want to pull on the skinny black tights and beret, light a cigarette, and dance around in a dim bar. But the kids got in my way. Plus I don't smoke or go to bars anymore. Dammit.
I find it's useful to look for shit-coming-to-me triggers. I suspect your trigger may be the quiet. ;)
DeleteAlso, LOL. I lurve Ray. His voice is the sexy. :)
Happy nanoing! Glad the missing bits showed up!
ReplyDeleteI think usually to get unstuck I have to just force myself to keep writing, and the as I go the stuff I need starts occuring to me. Though breakthroughs can and do happen any ole way they want.
That's happened for me, too, but I find it happens more when I've left myself some Easter eggs, and I tend to leave very few. (If that makes sense.) In this case, powering through would have been disastrous because everyone had the wrong personality and one person was there who shouldn't have been there. I'm actually glad I caught it so early. :)
DeleteOh definitely, powering through can be the wrong move too. End up with a big mess that feels overwhelming to fix. !!
DeleteGood catch! And yay for unstuck. Your writing, and figuring out HOW you are writing, is massively impressive. All the while fighting off a five year old.
ReplyDelete(Man, you are SO multi-talented.)
You are mistaken, my dear lady. The five year old cannot be fought. ;) (Thanks!)
DeleteGood songs for getting unstuck ;) I have a soundtract that plays while I sew (several actually so I may match my mood) ... keeps the machine whirrling ... ;) Pat
ReplyDeleteI do the same, Pat. I like peppy music while I sew. :)
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