So I’ve been thinking about @bbcbluebell‘s post a few days ago about getting stuck with a story and not really knowing how to move forward. I thought I’d post a few simple tricks that I use when I’m at an impasse to try and get the juices flowing. Please, please add your own to this list, I’d love to make my toolbox stronger.
open a new document and
-change the voice (try first or second to really get inside a character’s head, sometimes omniscient third yields interesting results). At the beginning this can give you an insight into what the conflict will be in the story to come. In the middle it can give you insight into how the character might be feeling and what obstacles are holding them back and what they need.
-write a letter from one character to another summarising what’s going on and how they’re feeling
-write a scene where a character tells a story (from their childhood, college years, etc) to a stranger in a bar
-write a scene with the character talking to a therapist (what advice does the therapist give? What does the character reveal/not want to reveal? What advice do they take/not take? What are they not aware of about themselves?)
-write a scene from a minor character’s POV to give you insight as to how it appears to an outsider.
-write an outline that carries you past this point (how do you get there from here?)
-write a twist or throw a wrench at them and see how they react
-write the opposite of conflict and let them rest/relax/fuck/eat/enjoy something
Also, read, read, read. Read something that inspires you or gives you insight, read an old favourite, read something you wouldn’t normally read, do research about what you think your fic might be about, read poetry, listen to music.
Lay down and close your eyes and imagine the scene/plot/arc in your head. (Sometimes this takes me weeks of choreographing in my thoughts)
Talk shop with a friend. Let them read what you’ve got or go over your outline with them. This can clarify a lot of things that you didn’t know were holding you back.
Overall I’ll just say that conflict doesn’t need to be a traditional hero vs. villain scale. Most of us have small conflicts in our lives that we struggle with every day. It’s lovely if you want to write a domestic fic, a character study, a pwp that explores very simple minor conflicts (we’re out of milk! I’m feeling sad and need comfort! I just got fired! I missed my train! My mom is sick! I don’t know what to do with my life! I am learning to do this thing and am not very good at it yet! I want sex! I am hungry! The dog peed on the rug!). A lot of my fic is written in that space. But conflicts are what give you the tension in a longer story and are what makes the ending satisfying so it’s good flesh them out at the beginning and these tricks sometimes help point me in the right direction.