Thickening the Plot

I confessed to a friend the other evening that I was having trouble with the book I'm working on, that, in fact, I seem to be stuck in the middle. He said, "Are you bored?"

Bored! Good Godfrey. What a terrifying question. How could I possibly be bored with a story that combines the best parts of The Count of Monte Cristo, Twilight, The Fugitive, and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? No! No! Overwhelmed, perhaps. Not up to the demands of my material. Surely not bored.

My friend suggested that I abandon the project (same as I did the last four) and start something new. Problem is, I don't have anything else in me right now. No, instead I am going to take my annoying little strumpet of a protagonist by the hair and kick her hind end until she thinks of the next thing to do. That's her job, right? The characters are supposed to take over.

So here goes. Maybe I'll drop her in the river again. Cold water is said to be stimulating. I'll let you know how it works out.

Kate Gallison

Writer’s Block: Symptoms and Cure

Writer’s paralysis, more commonly known as “Writer’s Block” is an insidious disease
that can come on suddenly and take many forms. Mild cases may be called procrastination.

More serious attacks are referred to as – sloth. And the most severe cases as – paralysis.

How does a writer cure this disease in its early stages? First, recognize the symptoms.

Symptoms

1. You put off writing by doing miscellaneous chores such as dishwashing, bed-making, vacuuming, or minor home repairs such as fixing the toaster, replacing burnt-out light bulbs, paying bills, (you know the kind of thing).
2. You finally make it to the computer, but the first thing you do is check your email, Facebook and Twitter, and answer all communications found there.
3. You respond to all physical demands such as hunger pangs, caffeine and/or (heaven forbid) nicotine cravings instantly.
4. Nap-time.
5. Dinner with a little wine.
6. TV, party, movie, whatever…
7. Bedtime. Restless night due to bad conscience, guilt, feelings of worthlessness, followed by nightmares: taking a math test unprepared, giving a party with no refreshments in the house, appearing on a panel and getting tongue-tied.
8. Waking tired, unrefreshed, ready to begin a new day, repeating all of the above.

Cure

1. Set alarm for six AM.
2. Rise, shower, dress, have breakfast with a heavy shot of caffeine.
3. Turn off cell phone.
4. Go to computer. Do not check email. Do not check Face book. Do not check Twitter.
5. Go directly to Word or its equivalent.
6. Bring up a blank page.
7. After some serious thinking (no more than ten minutes) start typing. Continue typing until noon.
8. Break for lunch. (Optional: Do dishes. Make bed)
9. Back to computer. Print out what you wrote in morning. Read it. Edit it. Revise it, if necessary.
10. Dinner
11. Exercise: Walk, jog, bike or visit gym. Recreate: TV, read, fraternize with family or friends.
12. Bed. Sleep dreamless, guilt-free sleep. Awake rested, refreshed, ready to repeat all of the above.

Note: Those who work fulltime or care for small children must adjust their schedules accordingly. Try to set aside two or three hours in the early morning or late evening for writing on a regular basis. For you, the challenge is greater, but it can be done.

P.S. Please know, I have suffered all these symptoms and have come close to becoming a terminal case. I also know that this disease has a habit of recurring. No cure is permanent. There is no telling when the dread symptoms may appear again.

Be on guard!

Robin Hathaway

Stuck in the Middle of a Page

While Robert Knightly is on vacation, a few other writers step into his Sunday spot to offer useful advice on writing. This is from Caroline Todd, half of the east coast mother-son writing team of Charles Todd, author of the Bess Crawford mysteries and the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries. A Lonely Death was reviewed today in Marilyn Stasio's column in the New York Times Book Review. See more about the team on their web site, charlestodd.com.

One of the questions we're often asked by readers working on their own manuscripts is, what do you do when you run out of ideas in the middle of a page? It's a good question, and I had to think about it, because there are two answers.

The first is, walk away. Go do something else and clear your mind of the problem. Wash dishes, mow the grass, go shopping, call a friend, whatever you enjoy doing. I've had some of my best ideas while mopping the bathroom floor! And that's not on the list of something I enjoy. Whatever, give it a rest. Soon you'll feel the answer coming.

If it doesn't, go back into the story and look for what went wrong. Sometimes it's a conversation that went off track or a bit of characer development that has moved off target. If you fret over it, it will become insurmountable, I've found. So give the problem and yourself a break and let it simmer awhile. Then see what happens. I'll be curious to hear.

--Caroline Todd

Writing Takes a Back Seat

This time of year, my writing career goes on the back burner, unless you’re talking about writing cards. There they sit, shiny and new, stacked on my desk, address book open to “A”, a new roll of stamps ready to go.

But I look at them with deep dread.

Once I begin, I know it will be an all-nighter. But the longer I put it off, I know the longer the night will be. As Kate told us, when she asked us to write our blogs, “Think of it as a college term paper—that’s due tomorrow.” Thanks, Kate. That’s all I needed to complete my writer’s block.

Maybe I should forget about sending cards this year and send valentines instead. At least they would have less competition. My card might be the only one in the mailbox! It would really make an impression and be remembered. (They might even attract some swains.)

But won’t my friends be disappointed, if they don’t hear from me this year? They might even think I’m dead! I’d better bite the bullet, grab my pen, and get started. Maybe just one little cup of hot chocolate first, to give me energy? Or a quick cat nap?

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

—Robin Hathaway