Anonymous

...and what did you do about it?

I finished a novel length story. It is now in the rewrite stage. I have a general idea as to how I want the story to go. I have the underlying message. I even have the ending.

I rewrote the beginning. Came out good.
I rewrote the first and second scene. Came out okay.
I go to overhaul the rest of the book and bam! Writer's block. I don't know where to go next. Actually, I don't know what happens next.

There isn't a lot of stuff from the first draft that I want to keep because the underlying message has changed. It started out as a simple love story but I realized that the nature of the main characters' relationship had repercussions that not only affected them but also the society they live in.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it is because I haven't fully defined the main characters but I am interested to know if anyone else has faced this and what you did to push through it.

Chris

This is why I outline

My advice would be to put your manuscript aside, and let your thoughts stew on the story. Keep a notebook and write down ideas, flesh out characters etc.

Good luck with your writing

- Chris

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Selorian

I agree with Chris. Right now it would be wise to set the manuscript aside for awhile. Write some short stories, do some planning for another piece, or anything other than trying to rewrite right now. Go back to it in a couple weeks or so and see what happens then. I also agree with keeping a notebook handy to jot down any ideas you have for the rewrite while your concentrating on other writing. You never know when the perfect idea will come to you.


Cliff

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Talia_Brie

So, you got through the whole thing, then realised that the last 90% what? didn't make sense? didn't support your main theme?

I think you need to keep what you've written, and flesh it out to explore the themes that are already present rather than trying to force a new theme onto an existing argument. I think the work itself reveals the theme, not the other way around. You don't want to run the risk of writing seven books about the same characters, all of which you're not happy with.

Maybe I'm just not understanding your problem, but if you've finished a book, I would be very careful about scrapping it, or making wholesale changes unless they were absolutely necessary, or if the existing work cannot be salvaged in any way.

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Anonymous

What happened was, I sat at my computer and started typing. I did not do an outline because I was experimenting with free form. Suprised the heck out of me when I came up with a pretty good story and actually finished it. I have since come up with a loose outline for it and by loose I mean it's like five sentences.

Boy meets girl
Girl gets pregnant
A threat to social order ensues
Climax
Ending

The story is about a man and a woman from two different classes who fall in love. They have sex and she gets pregnant causing a series of repercussions that end up seperating them. This basic theme is still intact

The problem I'm struggling with is that the repercussions ripple outward from being a personal issue between two people, to becoming a larger issue that threatens to destroy the society they live in.

It is this second theme that I am struggling with. More specifically I am having difficulty reworking the scenes I want to keep and coming up with new scenes to tie in and develope the second theme.

I think Selorian and Chris are right and I need to set it aside and let my subconcious stew on it for a bit. I think I'll peek in my file cabinet and see what other trouble I can get into in the meantime . Thanks y'all for the advice.

Talia_Brie

Given what you've just said, I think they're right too.

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mammamaia

if social order is involved, it sounds to me like you'll need to do some significant research, as well... into such things as state/federal laws governing whatever it is that your character/s do or want to do, relevant religions' dicta, social taboos, etc.

your block may only be that you realize you've bitten off more than you can chew at the moment... just doing the requisite research may actually remove the block and be the impetus to throw you back into this project with renewed vigor...

try it... it can't hurt, right?

love and hugs, maia

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demonic_harmonic

what i usually do in this case is sit back and put all the characters in my mind. then just sit there and watch them. (no, im not insane). just let it go, and youre imagination will start making them say and do things without you even trying. you might even be surprised that you never thought of something before. this isnt a thinking experiment, its more of a nonthinking experiment. almost like watching a movie. it can really help to solve writers block.

prgalla

I was surprised to come across this posting about watching movies in your head. I seem to do this all the time. I set back and ponder what is going to happen next. I can actually see the characters doing things to progress the story. It is very relaxing. And no, I am not crazy either. I just like to see what is going to happen next before I write it. I have written an entire story using this method. Right now I am working on a re-write before I can persue publication. I want it just right.

Paul

Anonymous

That is a really good idea. I think I do that when I first think of an idea but, for some reason, I don't return to it after I start writing. I think I'm afraid that I'll stay in that daydream state and not get a word on paper.

I have started doing the research and you are right mammamaia, it is a much bigger project than I expected but I think once I get through the research it will be a good story.