Stop struggling to write and wait.
Or write something else, or read.
That’s right, sometimes you just have to wait for the answer to find you. If you know me, waiting is not my strong suit. Sigh…
I’d been struggling, writing and rewriting a specific scene. I bet I’ve rewritten that one scene twelve ways to Sunday and wasn’t happy with either of them. The more I struggled to find the answer the more mired in the mud I got, unable to move past that scene. Google didn’t even help.
What to do, what to do? 
And then just when it looked darkest…
A wonderful blogger/writer came to my rescue. God, I love y’all!
BECCA PUGLISI over at Writers Helping Writers posted a terrific article that pulled my WIP right back on track.
Today I spent all morning mapping out the rest of my story. Have I decided on which of the twelve scenes I’m going to use that sent me off the rails? No. I’ve moved past it and will let my characters decide later. I’m too busy writing the book.
Following Becca’s instructions, I…
- opened Excel sheet
- listed my characters
- listed days of the week
- jotted down what each character did on what day. Just a few words.
Next, I use each of these notes to write a scene. As time goes by, I’ll add more notes to the spread sheet and write more scenes. Many of you may use a similar technique with note cards or sticky notes but to see it in a spread sheet really helped me jump past that muddy ditch and keep going. As the story plays out, I’ll know how to move past that tricky part. Click on her link and read the whole article.
Plotting for Pantsters
Do you have a trick for getting past a sticky story part?
What do you do to stay on track?
Give me your tips, I need all the help I can get.
Talk to me, I love reading your comments.
Please head over and “like” my Facebook page at Facebook at jeanswriting . Or to connect with me, click the “write me” tab. Don’t forget you can follow me on StumbleUpon, on Twitter @jeancogdell , and Amazon.com.
Please stop by and say “hey!” I’ll leave a light on.
Jean's Writing 
I have an excel sheet I use to create an outline/story map and of course Scrivener. @sheilamgood at Cow Pasture Chronicles
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, but you’ve always been so much more organized that me. LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m doubled over laughing! I wish!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I use Excel for scenes, but never even thought about listing characters. Thanks! 😉👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
My sheet is not very detailed, just high spots I don’t want to miss.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on Meredith Gibraltar Blog and commented:
Thought you might be interested in this post…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Here is some great information for writers from Jean’s Writing blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I use excel for all my tracking and plotting. And if I’m stuck on a scene, I’ll use it to break the scene down into parts. I’m so glad you found out what a great tool it is. Happy Writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, it helped me see my scenes from a different angle. That’s always a good thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe I should try that method despite the inclination to always write in chronological order. I still am having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of creating scenes that have nothing to do with the other ones, though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did at first too, because I’ve written short stories. But when I see a scene in my head and fail to capture it in the moment, later I find it harder to recreate it. However if I take the time to jot down the scene, even in a rough form its more vivid and then when I go to add it to the proper section everything falls into place. So far anyway. Fingers crossed the book doesn’t looked like a patchwork quilt when I’m done. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds very interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Words Can Inspire the World.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person