When I’m Stuck
by
Mary Deal
Let it be known that I never have the dreaded writer’s block. But sometimes I do get stuck. It may be from working on too many projects at once.
I usually work on more projects than I can complete, though my main focus is on one or two at a time. When I’m stuck I play a trick on my mind. I begin working on a different project. Seems my mind can’t help throwing out random bits and pieces of information for lots of different stories. So all I have to do is work on something else and what I need for the story I prefer to work on then comes to mind.
When I’m stuck writing anything to do with a character – maybe dialogue – I stand in front of a mirror—have one right beside my desk— and practice the gestalt of the character’s situation. That is, I speak the dialogue to myself in the mirror until I sound like the character. It also helps to gesture like the character when I speak. Then I include those words and gestures verbatim in the story. Including those mannerisms, too, enhances the character’s personality because I can actually see my character in the scene as I act out his or her part.
If anyone were to watch me and not understand, they would think me nuts!
Please visit Mary Deal’s website for more wonderful articles like this one: Write Any Genre.
That’s exactly what I do–4-5 completely different projects going. There’s always something to work on and the muse rarely stops because I keep shifting gears completely. Although, if I ever run out of chocolate or sit still too long, my muse does get irritable.