Vocabulary – Jean's Writing

Do you know how to start writing a new chapter?

Sometimes I do. So I was thrilled to find an oldie but goodie article by Darcy Pattison at Fiction Notes.

I recently arrived at chapter 8 of my WIP, and then blank page syndrome (BPS) hit with a vengeance. Even my well thought out outline couldn’t spark inspiration.

But thanks to Darcy, I got my mojo back and I’m plugging right along now. Then it occurred to me, I couldn’t be the only writer to suffer from BPS and that Y’all might have the same issue from time to time. If that’s the case, maybe her simple and practical tips will help you too.

What helped me move past blank page…

Use the senses. When putting myself in the protagonist’s shoes, reach out and think about what he is seeing, smelling, hearing, etc.
Add action. Now that I’ve identified what he senses, move him into an action. For instance, if he is smelling something: Smoke – runs from building or turns off oven.
Start with dialogue. Get conversations going. I can always add something before that later.

Reminders to consider when writing a new chapter…

Waking up. Although this is a basic no-no, again it’s okay to get the juices flowing and can be changed in the final draft.
Backstory. This can get boring but again, I can cut in the end. Just write.
Dull vocabulary. Don’t bore the reader in the first paragraph, after all my goal is to keep them reading through to the next one.