This is not a “how to overcome some kind of problem” article . This is a post where I talk about what it’s like to be in a problem and not know how to fix it.
I’m currently writing a romance fanfiction to practice storytelling and to practice completing a project. The fanfiction is meant to be short, and because I’m working with someone else’s established world and characters, I figured this would make completing this project much easier. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
I have written several scenes of set-up, but I haven’t been able to move past them. I don’t know how to “get the story started” and move into the conflict: the true premise of the story. In truth, I don’t know what that premise is and so, it makes sense that I would get stuck. This is a common pattern when I start any project.
My writing process consists of both plotting and pantsing. I like to plan out a skeleton of the story with key scenes, and then I like to “pants” the in-between scenes. I have noticed that it’s important for me to have a sense of a character (their attitude, their voice, their false beliefs, how they’re messing up their life and how they need to change) and to have a vague idea of what I want the story to be about or what I want to happen before I get started. From there, I can start sketching out a plot outline. However, I have not been successful in completing a project this way, mainly because I don’t know what my story is truly about.
Feeling Stuck
Feeling stuck in the writing process is like walking in the dark in an unfamiliar place with just a flashlight, and suddenly that flashlight goes out. So, you can’t see what direction to walk in. You’re afraid of making the wrong decision, where you end up walking into something, or worse, moving away from your destination. So you stay there, paralyzed. And, trying to figure out where to go next is like fumbling with your hands in the dark, trying to put an image together, while you wait for your flashlight to come back on.
When I’m stuck in a story I try to figure out why I’m stuck. Is there something wrong with my writing process? Am I not understanding plot structure? Am I in a creative dry spell? Is this story just not meant to be written now, or am I just not into this idea as much I thought I was? Or worse, am I just not meant to be a writer? These are the thoughts that run through my head. I search Google for answers and I try to troubleshoot by using different techniques, but nothing really clicks. Eventually I just stop writing all together, letting the guilt build up for weeks.
The Truth
How am I meant to fulfill my dream of being an author/novelist if I can’t even get through one story without getting stuck and quitting?
I understand that getting stuck is normal and part of the process. I also understand that to be that author I dream of being, it will take learning how to deal with being stuck and getting past it by not stopping and giving up. I know that I must keep writing, that the muse usually doesn’t show up before me and that I must wait for it while I work. I know that, logically, all of these are true, but I guess I don’t fully believe it yet.
Deep down, I struggle with the discomfort of not knowing what comes next, not only in my writing, but my personal and professional life as well. There is so much uncertainty that it’s difficult to stay grounded through it all. And, I guess, I don’t trust my own judgment because I always think that it will lead me astray.
In the End, There Is Hope
This is what it’s like for me to be stuck writing a story. I hope that someday I’ll have an epiphany that ends this pattern/cycle. There’s one thing I can rest easy knowing, and that is that I haven’t given up yet. I still love writing and I still write, even when I know that most of the time I WILL get stuck.
Do you struggle with getting stuck in the middle (or beginning) of your stories? What do you do to cope? Please share your experiences and/or advice in the comments below!
Hi! Shantal here. I’m a writer and a storyteller. I created Shantal Writes to share my experiences with writing fiction. I also provide new writers with tips, tools, and writing advice. I hope you find something helpful while you’re here!
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I’ve been writing professionally since 2003. I’ve written 28 books as a ghostwriter and author, but I get stuck all the time. I also get unstuck all the time! The secret to getting unstuck is first: to embrace getting stuck. Understand it’s part of the craft of writing. The great thing about getting stuck is that to get unstuck you have to change your perspective. If I’m writing fiction, it usually means letting my character guide me out of the block, instead of trying to force them to go where I want them to go. If I’m writing non-fiction—usually memoirs or ‘based on a true story’—I get stuck because I’m trying too hard to be clever. In the words of Rumi, “Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself.” As writers, when we get stuck, it’s almost always because our story wants to go one way and we don’t want to change our plans.
Hi Joey, thank you for sharing your experience! I definitely agree with your perspective that one of the best things a writer can do is embrace getting stuck as part of the process. I also agree that it will take a change in mindset to get unstuck. Interesting that when writing fiction, when you get stuck it’s often because your characters want to go a different direction than you planned it. I find myself getting stuck in the earlier stages of writing (the premise development). Lately, I’ve been embracing the getting stuck part of planning. Typically I just write whatever comes to my head and come back the next day and keep trying at it until I either get my answer externally or my mind finally connects the dots.