8 Ways to Keep Writing Even When You Don't Have a Clue Where You're Going

Don't Let The Bastards Get You Stuck

Me, every time I have to climb a flight of stairs. My titanium knee doesn’t like it. Photo by Lewis Roberts on Unsplash

Sometimes I stop myself from writing for stupid reasons, mostly having to do with not knowing exactly where my characters should go next. And then I spin in the wind and plop to the ground and cover my head and get stuck there like an immovable boulder. But lately I’ve been finding ways to get around those blocks, heavy and stony as they are. (I should say I’ve been forcing myself to find ways. Some way, somehow, getting blocked serves me.)¹

I’ve figured some out for myself and have adopted some from clients and other writers. And I’ve written about some at length before. But this is meant to be a handy little refresher list. So without further ado, here you go:

1. The TK

If you’re not sure what to write next, need to drop in a bit of research, can’t remember what a character’s name is, or any other of a thousand reasons, the TK is your best friend. Stick it in your manuscript when trying to think of a lovely way to describe the mountain outside your proto’s window or any other tiny little thing that threatens to sideline your progress. Technically-ish short for to come, but we use TK instead of TC because the T and the K are the only two letters that don’t appear together in the English language. (Except whoever thought that up did not live in the great Pacific Northwest, where we have Sitka Spruce trees and a marvelous art center named Sitka where I’ve actually taught.) And, hilariously enough, Substack is warning me with little side notes that this paragraph is littered with TKs! And hey, I forgot—I wrote a whole post on it!

2. All Caps

I admire the way my lovely client Maria forges ahead as she writes. When she’s not quite sure how the scene is going to go, she’ll write a sentence or even a whole paragraph or more in all caps. And then she keeps writing. I’m inspired by that approach and maybe you will be, too.

3. Write out of order, the next scene that has juice for you

Oh how many years I wasted hewing to the thought that I. had. to. write. in. chronological. order. Finally a year ago when I was well and truly stuck I let myself write any scene I damn well wanted to do. And I got the draft done. Wait, I think I wrote a whole post on this. Yes, here it is. Maybe out of all these suggestions this one is my favorite.

4. Write shitty. Really, really shitty

Just throw crap at the page. As Jodi Picoult famously said, “You can’t edit a blank page.” True dat. This, to me, is the hardest of these suggestions. Once you’ve been writing for awhile and you get used to having an audience, it is hard to not think about them while writing. In the Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron often mentions focusing on process, not product which allowing yourself to write shitty most definitely is. But our little perfectionist selves like to pop up and point how out the awfulness of our work. Well, to hell with them. Get those words on the page.

5. Side write. Just don’t get mired in it like I sometimes do

I love me some side writing. I love it so much that sometimes I do it too much. I can easily use it as an excuse to not get on with the real business at hand, writing the actual story. Anyway, side writing is simply writing about your story rather than on it. Maybe you need to figure out your character’s misbelief or write some description of the setting but you don’t know where said setting is yet. Writing about it without feeling the need to dramatize the work can be very helpful. Here’s an article I wrote on the subject.

6. Step away from the computer

Take the dog for a walk. He’ll thank you (probably by pooping, or peeing on telephone pole but oh well) and your mind will, too. And honestly? You don’t even have to go far. Sometimes the mere act of getting up out of the chair does something to the brain that jogs loose ideas. Many’s the time I’ve found myself running back to the computer or grabbing my phone to make a note after taking a step or two away from the desk.

7. Do something repetitive

Since I’m a stitcher and knitter, that’s where I go. But you can also go outside and pull weeds (not my idea of fun but it may be yours) or walk (one foot after another is repetitive) or playing a musical instrument, rocking in your grandmother’s rocker, doing diamond painting or paint-by-number, you name it. One of my clients has a character in her novel who collects fidget spinners which help him get ideas.

8. Talk it out with a friend

There’s nothing like brainstorming story ideas and thorny problems with friends, particularly writing friends. Do make sure it’s someone you can trust not to send you astray, however. Or judge you! Brainstorming needs to be judgment free. There’s also the extra perk that a writing friend can talk you down off the ledge when you’re certain you’re never going to be able to write another word, let alone finish this novel.

9. Bonus tip I just thought of

And it’s the most important tip of all: choose one of these and charge on ahead. Don’t get mired in thoughts of I’m stuck now I’m stuck I don’t know where to go I’ll never write again because I’m stuck and instead of going to the page going to the wine bottle. When I get into that negative thought pattern loop I forget that there are ways to pull me out of getting stuck. All I have to do is remember that—and choose one to assist me.

Okay. That’s what I’ve got for you today. What are your go-tos for pulling yourself out a slump?

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Free Zoom Class!

And on a different topic, announcing a FREE two-session zoom class on writing dynamic scenes, presented by my business partner Debbie Guyol and I.

We are excited to present this two-part class to give you an opportunity to see how our overseas writing workshops work. BUT this is not a sales pitch. We will be presenting helpful information on writing scenes. Here's the scoop:

Mondays at 5 PM Pacific, March 17th and 24th

Session One

--Review elements of scene
--Discuss what a scene should do
--Talk about what a scene should not do
--A brief discussion of the concept of the sequel
--At the end of the first workshop, we’ll give you an assignment to write a scene that you will send to us and the members of the class.

Session Two

During the second session, we’ll review and discuss your scenes, workshop style. Don’t worry, we’ll be gentle. And, it'll be fun!

To register and receive the zoom link, please email Charlotte at chardixon@comcast.net with SCENE CLASS in the subject line. Hope you will join us!

1. And I think I know why. Because if I’m blocked on the story, I don’t have to finish it and if I don’t finish it I can’t send it out into the world. Pro tip: blocks always have meaning.