Friday, January 14, 2011

stuck

i've written myself into a corner. okay, not literally, but figuratively.  i'm working on a sequel to Second Kiss.  i've  been writing it and rewriting it for months now.  i was so excited about where it was going.  i was loving the developement, loving what my main character got to experience. 
and then it happened. 
i got stuck.
all of my plots and subplots have seemed to come to a standstill.  its like i know where they're supposed to end up and that place is wonderful and moving and powerful.  but i don't know how to get there.  and the point that i'm at now is okay, but its not great.  and i'm afraid i've made one of my main characters (one of the best characters) an extra... or even worse, a member of the stage crew.  he's barely in it.  he's barely part of the show.  and that scares me because he's what i loved best about the show.  so i'm trying to pull him back in but the story isn't letting me.  i'm trying to get to the resolution but the words aren't taking me there.  i can't tell you how many times i've stared at the words on the screen and waited for them to unfold before me.  but they aren't and i'm discouraged. 
it wouldn't be that big of a deal if i could just close my laptop for a while and think about something else.  but i can't.  my brain won't stop.  i think about it anywhere and anytime i have even a second to think about anything.  how will i get there?  how will i make it work?  what is their story going to be?
but nothing is coming.  so for now i'm just... stuck.

5 comments:

  1. I'm afraid to ask which major player has become a crew member!

    I know what you mean about having it in your mind every waking moment (and too often in my dreams). I've been fortunate to have other projects to work on and get my brain removed from my struggle. It really makes a big difference for me to take even a day or two and think about something else. When I come back to my struggle I can usually see the fix right away.

    Good luck!

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  2. Sorry to post twice. I just read this on a blog I follow written by Stephanie Perkins - "Anna and the French Kiss". I like it her suggestion of love lists and wondered if you might as well:
    http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/

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  3. donna - thanks for the tip, i'll take a look at it. and p.s. never, ever, ever apologize for commenting twice! I LOVE comments! :)

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  4. Hope we are not too late, system would not let us in. With all the libraries and friends we talked to we had 610 points in your contest. And I think two of the libraries in Des Moines are trying to get your book.

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  5. My name is Luce St. Surin and my score is 550 points

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