Ksenia Anske

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What to do when stuck

Okay, we all get stuck. When you do, DON'T GET MAD.

Sit with it. Stay calm and think. Have faith that the right idea will come. You’ll find it. I promise.

Still stuck? 

Go up a level in your structure and look at larger blocks/scenes and the unifying idea behind them. 

Still stuck??

Bounce around from scene to scene, as in, start working on another scene entirely. 

Still stuck??? 

Walk away from it, do something else, then come back. Look for references in the movies you watched or the books you read. Pull back to a higher view. Summarize the key scenes with the key plot points that move the story forward (like Netflix episode descriptions—broad, but not going into fine details). Avoid listing key details. If you write key details only, your writing will suck. Get the solution by thinking of the whole scene. The scene will dictate what needs to be accomplished. Got it? Great.

STILL STUCK????

If all else fails, put a placeholder in place of your scene or part of the scene, or even a paragraph, and move on. Leave it blank. Seriously. Just move forward. You'll come back to it later.

Illustration by Karolina Koryl