Novels
15 years ago
General
I've been thinking of writing a novel. I've got a few story ideas in my head, but one of my main problems, besides getting sidetracked, is when I get stuck. I end up not sure where to take the story.
I was curious what others do to deal with writer's block?
I was curious what others do to deal with writer's block?
FA+

Of course, a technique I've heard of but haven't tried, and it sounds fun, is simple. Have a man with a gun break down the door, or something similar.
If you can't move on, have something big and dramatic happen that snaps you out of the third act slump.
Also set some goals, and make sure they're not too stressful, but still a little stressful. I tried setting the goal of posting a chapter a week... which worked up until I had to prepare for my masters defense.
Also, never worry about jumping around with it! I've started a story on the second or even third chapter before and gone back and finished.
If you'd like to talk more on this subject, I'm available.
Much of the time, the material I end up getting as a result of this becomes a permanent part of the story, even if the crazy thing I added ends up getting discarded. Going in an unexpected direction can have unexpected consequences, and often, said consequences end up being pleasant and useful.