Stuck as stuck can be!

[cymbidia]

Like mig in the "Writer cramped" thread, i too am stuck. I've got a novel that's almost complete, and i don't think it sucks *too* badly either, but it's got two big holes that i just cannot plug. By "holes" i mean places in the tale without words. Zero words. Big empty places where words should be. Chapter-9-to-Chapter-11-with-nothing-in-between kinda stuff.

I started this book about five years ago, wrote it furiously in a glow of achievement over nine months or so, then put it down until a couple months ago. Out of the blue, i picked it up again, wrote furiously for a while and now i'm stuck. Big time stuck. I'm over 350 pages into this thing and it's all good but for these holes.

Here's my question: How do you make yourself write? More specifically, how do you make yourself write when you're just as stuck as stuck could be?
cym

 

[SteamyChik]

I usually take a break and write something else entirely different. I find that helps me get back to the story line ready to go.

 

[Bob Peale]

I too usually start another project. Sometimes, I find that it fills the hole nicely (with some modification). Other times, I end up with a great new piece of work. Sure, the first one is still deficient, but I still end up with a sense of accomplishment.

 

[Whispersecret]

Options:

1. Force yourself to write, even if it it's crappy. You can always revise it.

2. Go away, like SC suggested. Sometimes you just need some time away from the story because you've gotten too close to it.

3. Ask for help. Find another writer to read what you've got, or send them an outline of the plot. This has helped me many a time. Just someone else's perspective on the story can jump start things. KM has helped me a couple of times in this way.

4. Try reading the book, "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler. It's a must-read for any writer of novels, even though it was aimed for screenplay writers. Sometimes you're missing one of the critical elements of the archetypal story.

5. Try approaching the scene from another character's point of view. That works for me sometimes.

6. Try jumping into the middle of the scene with some dialogue. Dialogue always comes easy for me, so sometimes if I start a scene with that, the words begin to flow.


More specific suggestions, I can't give, not without knowing the details of your story. Are there really holes? Maybe you could just change the heading from Chapter 11 to Chapter 10...

[Edited by whispersecret on 03-23-2001 at 09:09 AM]

 

[p_p_man]

Forget it for while. Write new things. Don't dwell on it. You know how a problem can seem insurmountable one moment and then completely easy to solve the next? That's your subconscious at work...I have a lot of faith in letting my subconscious do all the work while I pick up all the awards.

"I'd like to thank my..."

 

[Ulyssa]

It will do you zero good to just go away and leave your work alone. As veteran of two novels this is the time to plant your butt at the keyboard until you do something. It doesn't matter if that something is to write a littl extra description in the middle of Chapter 2 or 5 or 7--DO SOMETHING. Doing nothing is counterproductive and slows you down immensely.

There is no MUSE. There's just you and any people you trust.

It's just a book--and a first novel at that--as British novelist John Braine suggests--write it first-- make it connect by any trivial or unbelievable means possible because if it's not written you cannot revise it and make it better---pretty simple actually---go to the rewrite stage and then you can finish it. Second, third and fourth novels are always easier---and BETTER! But that's something you'll soon discover, if you stop the perfectionist bullshit and just write the damn thing.

Remember in the movie Finding Forrester--the novelist played by Sean Connery said: "Don't think--Write!"

 

[Ulyssa]

Wow! It's been a long time since I was referred to as a virgin. It nearly brought back my blush response.

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

I sam in a similar situaation. I cant figure out a proper ending for my novel...it is driving me nuts.

 

[Laurel]

It will do you zero good to just go away and leave your work alone. As veteran of two novels this is the time to plant your butt at the keyboard until you do something. It doesn't matter if that something is to write a littl extra description in the middle of Chapter 2 or 5 or 7--DO SOMETHING. Doing nothing is counterproductive and slows you down immensely.

There is no MUSE. There's just you and any people you trust.

It's just a book--and a first novel at that--as British novelist John Braine suggests--write it first-- make it connect by any trivial or unbelievable means possible because if it's not written you cannot revise it and make it better---pretty simple actually---go to the rewrite stage and then you can finish it. Second, third and fourth novels are always easier---and BETTER! But that's something you'll soon discover, if you stop the perfectionist bullshit and just write the damn thing.

Remember in the movie Finding Forrester--the novelist played by Sean Connery said: "Don't think--Write!"

That's excellent advice. Just get the thing on the paper - you can cobble it down and make it nice once it's there. Editing is easier than inventing. If you can just spill out the idea in a rough, uneven block, then it's just a matter of going at it with a hammer & chisel.

 

[Ulyssa]

Laurel--No wonder people love you.

 

[cymbidia]

I'm enormously grateful for all the good advice that's flowing so openheartedly from such talented people. Thank you.

~returning to my task of pasting and taping and stapling little broken bits of sentences into those bloody gaping holes-but at least i'm writing *something*~
cym

 

[Madame Pandora]

Hmmm...interesting to see what others have said here.

Personally I have to walk away. Forcing myself to write never works. In the past, when I have tried to force myself to write I have done more harm than good. I've denied myself sleep and caused myself unnecessary stress which only added to the writer's block.

These days, when the well feels dry. I walk away. I get a few days of good sleep, I play. And pretty quickly, I find myself brainstorming in the car on the way to work, etc.

A fellow author wrote me recently, "It's ironic that the biggest distraction from writing stories for Literotica IS Literotica itself."

The truth of that is STILL cracking me up. Laurel, you shot yourself in the foot here. We'd write more if we weren't having so much fun on the boards.

MP

 

[Madame Pandora]

Laurel--No wonder people love you.

That's right...and it has nothing to do with the free booze and no-cover-charge orgies...

MP

 

[MorganHawke]

When I'm stuck!

When I am stuck in a rut (usually arguing with my characters about what they will or will not do,) I go on to one of my other shelved projects.

But Before I pack my problem child away for later, I put a note in the 'hole':

"In which she sucks his dick..."
"In which he tells her that she's a werewolf too & she doesn't believe him..."
"In which the orgy begins..."
"In which they go off to the blackmailer's house and discover that he's the body-thief ..."

- or some such, just so I don't lose the thread. THEN I go off & wrestle with my other bits of story.

 

[Cockatoo]

My hole is bigger

I've got a novel with a beginning, a set of characters and settings I adore, a long list of terrible things to do to them to show the reader what they're made of, and lots of funny stuff to punch it up. I'm just missing two things at this point:

1) a plotline of any kind
2) even the vaugest idea of where it's going.

I'll settle for either one at this point. So, I'm just letting it "gel" while I crank out stories for Literotica. This site is keeping me active as a writer, and getting me more attention than I've ever had before.

 

[cymbidia]

Re: My hole is bigger

~giggling in a major way-maybe it's the late hour?~

There's no way i'm getting into it with you over who has a bigger hole, babes.

 

[Cockatoo]

I'm fixing a hole, where the rain comes in

... not even if I offer to measure yours?

This bird's a boy, BYW, I was just being cute. And I've gotta say, I LOVE your picture there!

http://www.literotica.com/stories/memberpage.php?uid=7785

 

[cymbidia]

Think with your whole body. -- Taisen Deshimaru

And what will you use as a measuring stick?

The pic is an old av that's been lying around without purpose for a few years. Recycling is a wonderous thing.

 

[Cockatoo]

Part of my body thinks for me

...why, I just so happen to have a measuring stick right here! I always carry it around with me, y'know (insert low chuckle here).

(Insert whatever else comes to mind here).

 

[Ulyssa]

Measuring devices

You realize that this opens up a brand new fad for tattoo parlor artists---centimeter measuring sticks carefully inked onto the penis. Preferably erect.

Let me know if you go through this procedure, and we'll see what we can do about getting some much needed intimate measurements.

Repeat: insert whatever else comes to mind here.
BTW this is probably the point where we all take another sneaky peek at the pic Cym posts with her comments.

"Is this the reverse of the face that's launched a thousand quips?"

[Edited by Ulyssa on 03-31-2001 at 06:58 AM]

 

[cymbidia]

Re: Measuring devices

---centimeter measuring sticks carefully inked onto the penis. Preferably erect.

Only true masochists need apply. How else would he stay erect during the tattooing process?

(Oh yeh baby, needles, yeh, harder, baby, c'mon, deeper, ohhhh...yeeeahhhh...GOD...just like that!)

 

[Cockatoo]

for the record, OUCH.

Actually, I'd be surprized if there wasn't somebody out there that had done this.

In Stephen Jay Gould's book "The Mismeasure of Man," there's an illustration plate from the 19th century of a "criminal type" covered with tattoos, one of which was on his penis, which read (in Italian) something to the effect of "All of it goes in." But, this bird's body remains uninked. For the use of a man's handle as a measuring device, I'd suggest the "high water mark" method.

Okay, is it me, or is this getting silly now? This thread WAS about "getting stuck."

Heheh. Don't get me started on that one.

 

[cymbidia]

Penis tats?

These two aren't measuring sticks but they're definitely tats on penises. Graphic, too. (Don't say i didn't warn you.)

http://www.bme.freeq.com/spc/piercings/02bgpa2.jpg

http://www.flatstattooing.com/flats.people_places/dawn/portfolio/penis.tattoo.jpg

And finally:
A woman is picked up by Dennis Rodman in a bar. They like each other and she goes back with him to his hotel room. He removes his shirt revealing all his tattoos and she sees that on his arm is one which reads "REEBOK". She thinks that's a bit odd and ask him about it.

Dennis says, "When I play the baskeball, the cameras pick up the tattoo and Reebok pays me for advertisment".

A bit later, his pants are off and she sees "NIKE" tattooed on his leg. He gives the same explanation for the unusual tattoo. Finally, the underwear comes off and she sees the word "AIDS" tattooed on his penis.

She jumps back with shock.."I'm not going to do it with a guy who has AIDS!!!!

He says, "It's cool baby..in a minute it's going to say "ADIDAS".

 

[Cockatoo]

More penis tats

Arrright... (ahem):

Johnathan and Wendy (a slacker couple) got hitched, and instead of wedding rings, they got each other's names tattooed across their respective hoohoos. "Johnathan" turned out pretty well, with "John" on one lip and "athan" on the other, but "Wendy" ended up reading "We/y" unless Lil' Jonathan was at full sail.

They honeymooned in Jamacia, and while relaxing on a nude beach, they spotted one of the locals with some skin art of his own- a coincidental "We/y" just like the groom's.

"Wow, hey, man..." Said Johnathan, pointing out his own tat, "is your wife's name 'Wendy,' too?"

"Nah, mon," replied the stranger, "mine say 'Welcome back to Jamacia, we hope you enjoy your stay.'"

 

[cymbidia]

yet more...

A guy gets home late one night and his wife says: "Where have you been?"

"I was out getting a tattoo."

"A tattoo? What kind of tattoo did you get?"

"I got a hundred dollar bill on my penis."

"What the hell were you thinking? Why did you get a hundred dollar bill on your penis?"

"Well, number one, I like to watch my money grow. Number two, once in a while, I like to play with my money. And lastly, instead of you going out shopping, you can stay right here at home and blow a hundred bucks anytime you want!"