Who said a writer’s job is easy-peasy? Well, it’s far from being a stress-free task, especially if we want to entertain our readers in the best way possible.
To craft engaging stories, writers must dive into a variety of techniques to make this process effective and useful.
Before we learn about the plot structure formula, we must understand what plot is.
Talking about plot isn’t the same as talking about story. While a story tells what happens in a mechanical way, a plot explains the connection between two or more events. Let’s take a look at the differences in the compound of events.
Story
X happens, then Y happens.
Plot
X happens, then Y happens because of X. Therefore, C happens.
3 Act Plot Structure
The structure most used throughout history was Aristotle’s structure. In this type, a plot is divided into three parts, known as the 3 Act Structure.
Act I: In this part, characters are introduced, along with their relationships, desires, dreams, and obstacles. This is also where the setting is established and the inciting incident takes place.
Act II: Here is where the rising action leads readers to the climax. Then the falling action brings us closure to the conclusion.
Act III: Finally, the plot’s resolution is exposed, wrapping everything up.
Horace came up with a more dynamic structure divided into five acts. American novelist and professor, Alice Adams, explains the 5 Act Structure, where the plot follows this formula:
5 Act Plot Structure
A, B, D, C, E
1. Action: Setting and characters are introduced through a specific event that draws the reader into the story. It isn’t only an exposition but is the promise of a great story. Starting the story with a compelling action—it doesn’t have to be a violent one, but where the character is doing something that will hook readers in—is the best way to set a story’s gears on, rather than beginning with a reminisce, a dream, the main character waking up or even looking at a mirror. Always choose the more dynamic way over a passive one.
2. Background: Here, we present the vital information about the character, what brought him to where he/she is, and what motivates him/her to be and act in a certain way. It provides the context to understand the characters’ current situation and the building of conflicts. This is why the characters’ background must be emotionally strong because emotions are what impulses people to act.
3. Development: We reach the point where the character has to face obstacle after obstacle to achieve his/her goals. This is the sequence of events that will show the reader the “whys and “how’s”, the rising actions which will lead to the climax. However, I must state there are contradicting opinions on this part of a plot. Some writers say the development encompasses the events toward the peak, while others are sure it refers to the events that follow the climax. For me, the development takes more than 50% of the story. It’s all about rising and falling actions, some of the resolution, the character’s decision after the initial or inciting event, and the whole process the character goes through to reach his/her aim.
To understand how the rising action can make a story more exciting engaging, create obstacles every time the character has overcome one, and let each obstacle be larger.
4. Climax: Everyone agrees climax is the major conflict and the peak of a story. It is also the twist that challenges the character’s full potential, leading him/her to the final struggle.
5. Ending: This is the last act, obviously, where we see the character as someone else thanks to the journey he/she had to travel. After the final struggle, the characters might return to their everyday lives, but there’s always a reflection, except if they haven’t reached their goals. Then, their lives would be utterly different from what they used to be.
Which Plot Structure is Best?
Good stories are like circles or spirals that lead us to the same starting point, but we return to this starting point with a solution, a question, or a transformation in the character.
Whatever decision we make and whichever structure we choose, we must keep in mind that action will always be the best option to kick off our stories, while drama will build tension. Gather these elements in a harmonious waltz to lead your stories to the desired ending.
Plot structure formula is easy. Just remember your ABCs and 123s.
Cristia HJ
I write what I write to bring hope to the brokenhearted and ignite the passion for life in the sleeping soul. I want my readers to connect with my characters and free their imagination while the world is still spinning. Because no matter what we do or from where we come, we are all made of dreams and stardust.
Not only is intermittent fasting an effective way to burn fat, but the latest science also says it turns on latent genes, reverses aging, detoxes the body, and most importantly for writers, improves cognitive function.
So does intermittent fasting really work, or is it all just hype? I will tell you my personal experience so far.
My Intermittent Fasting Routine
3-4 times a week, I fast for 18-hour periods.
I drink black coffee and water until 2pm.
Tip: I combined the fasting routine with a goal to drink 1 gallon of water a day. It keeps the hunger at bay, so I highly recommend keeping water with you at all times. Herbal teas also help greatly when the stomach is growling.
I break my fast with a late lunch and eat a normal dinner.
Tip: the word “fasting” makes it sound extreme. In reality, you’re only skipping breakfast and possibly delaying your lunch. I have dinner at 8-9pm, so I must wait till 2-3pm to complete an 18-hour fast. If you eat dinner earlier, then you can break your fast earlier the next day. There are also many combinations of fasting routines that you can experiment with.
The results
I lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks–I expected to lose some weight, but not so much so effortlessly. This was a pleasant surprise.
More energy and alertness—When beginning intermittent fasting, I was a bit foggy. My brain was accustomed to having calories in the morning. But after the first week, my body knew that it would not get breakfast and learned to switch to fat-burning mode quickly. In this mode I noticed better concentration and focus.
More mental and physical endurance—I can work at the computer longer, and I recover from physical workouts more quickly too.
Better sleep and digestion—This is an unexpected bonus. I sleep more deeply, and I digest my food more quickly (no doubt because I’m so hungry by the time I eat).
Increased Productivity—The increased productivity is not only because I am more alert and energetic, but also because I do not have to prepare (or order), eat, and clean up after a meal. It saves time, removes the interruption, and is one less thing on my to do list.
Bonus–There is a food cost savings as well!
How does intermittent fasting work?
According to logic, our bodies evolved to expect long periods without food. As hunter gatherers, there could be days between our last meal and when the next food was found or caught. During this period, our senses were heightened because we needed to be alert and ingenious to locate food sources and track down animals.
During periods of fasting, the body switches to burning its fat stores. It also uses this time to perform autophagy (which actually means eating oneself), a process in which the body cleans out damaged cells and other residue that accumulates from day-to-day processes.
Once we eat, we rest and digest. Our bodies relax. They know they will live to see another day and our systems are busy metabolizing the food. This is a necessary process, but if we are constantly fed, then we are constantly in this low gear. There is no need for us to be in alert mode. We are not as mentally sharp. Fat and metabolites accumulate.
How intermittent fasting has improved my writing
I was surprised at how much of distraction meals are. Simply removing them opened up time and gave me space to focus. And I don’t get hangry because fasting trains the system to operate without the frequent ingestion of calories. Hunger and blood fluctuations can put the brain on a roller coaster. Fasting puts me in a steady hum that allows me to focus for hours.
Of course, you must get up and stretch your legs (and run to the loo if you’re doing the gallon of water challenge). But in my experience, at least, I am able to get into the flow state and stay there long enough to make major leaps in my writing.
This is why I thing fasting is especially good for novelists. We need to hold so much of the story in our heads to make sure all the moving parts work together, and getting back in the right head space after an interruption is a huge challenge.
Is intermittent fasting right for your writing life?
Fasting is definitely not for everyone, and you should consult your doctor before thinking about it, but as a writer, I will tell you it’s worth a try. I don’t think I’ll be going back to breakfast anytime soon!
With the current Pandemic ravaging the world, realizing the value of Indie Publishing, social media, and doing business online is apparent now more than ever. A lot of brick and mortar bookstores are closed, and some will not reopen. The basic system I started this post out as is good initially, but the Indie Author who goes beyond the bare minimum will set themselves apart from the pack.
I have had this post sitting in my drafts since October 2019. I didn’t want to publish it until I had tightened up my own business structure and then Corona hit and I thought, “Maybe this isn’t appropriate right now” and I put it off. I have a habit of meditating on what I have to do throughout the day before I get up from the bed. This morning I thought,“ Wait a minute, this could actually be the perfect time to present this information.”
Even though there aren’t many people working and the world is sick, this could be the perfect time for us to plan, organize, and restructure some things. The other day we cleaned out a closet that had served as the junk closet since we moved in, and Moshe (Husband) organized the garage. These days, we are paying attention to things we have neglected to give much attention to. Why not include our writing business too? Whether you will use this information now or later, this is an excellent time to give it some thought.
In the Beginning
For Self-Publishing a book, things are relatively easy in the beginning. You create a KDP account, connect your bank account (so you can get paid your royalties) and you are set. You can also create a PayPal account to collect funds from books bought through your website or blog and get a card reader to accept payments on the go, such as at book signings.
UPDATE: Card readers are becoming more outdated as apps like Cash App and Zelle become increasingly popular. I highly recommend authors to have a Cash App for book signings and festivals.
Next Level
Depending on your financial situation, it may be necessary to level up if you’ve been at this awhile.
How do you level up from this basic structure? How do you go from author to authorpreneur?
An authorpreneur is an author with entrepreneurial practices.
If publishing a book is like opening a business, you can do things to make sure you are running it like one.
It’s not 2008 and Self-Publishing is not what it used to be. The standards are higher.
Anyone can publish a book today (even if they aren’t good writers), by uploading a Word Document or PDF to Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. In the past, this has brought down the quality of the prestigious process of book publishing and, specifically, Indie Book Publishing. Today, though, the stigma attached to Self-Publishing is fading, and authors who publish top-quality material are being separated from those who do not.
With the current Pandemic ravaging the world, realizing the value of Indie Publishing, social media, and doing business online is apparent now more than ever. A lot of brick and mortar bookstores are closed, and some will not reopen.
The basic system I started this post out as is good initially, but the Indie Author who goes beyond the bare minimum will set themselves apart from the pack.
Create a business name/structure that is legal and connected to a business bank account.
When your business grows, you will discover how important it is to have a legal business structure. It has done wonders for me and helps me keep up with how much is coming in and going out, which helps me have a realistic picture of my ROI or return on investment. You work hard to write these books, publish them and spend good money to get them out into the world. Don’t let all this hard work go to waste.
You can get away with using a Pseudonym or creative business name at first, but if you are serious about using that name for specific projects, you will need it to be legit. What happens if someone sends you a check in your fake business name and you have not made it legal? Without a business bank account in that name, you will not be able to cash it.
Decide if you want to be a Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Corporation, Non-Profit (if you publish books for charity) or any other structure that suits you.
* Most people do not recommend a Sole Proprietorship, but it will work just fine. I am all about keeping things simple.
Set up a business bank account – You can set up your bank account once you have your business structure in place and monitor just how much is coming in from your book sales and other author endeavors separate from other forms of income. You will get a business debit/bank card and checks to use for your business. You can even establish a line of credit.
Creating a business structure can motivate you because you get to see your writing as a real business and not just a fancy play-name. You can get logos made if you want and do transactions under this name which comes in handy when completing W-9 forms and other paperwork that may be required for you to get paid.
Stay Legally Compliant
With a business structure, you will need to keep your business compliant with state and federal business laws. The requirements will vary based on your business structure. (For instance, the conditions are more strict for corporations than LLC’s). An example is that you may have to file once a year with a filing fee of maybe $30 to stay in compliance. The process is not tedious, and you may even be able to do it online. For details on staying compliant, you can visit the small business administration website here.
If you don’t stay compliant your business will fall into an inactive status.
Publish Your Books Under Your Own Imprint
Once you have your legal business structure and business bank account in place, it is time to publish your books like you own your business.
Buy Your ISBNs – The ISBN is a unique identifier for a book issued by an ISBN registration agency. In the US, this agency is Bowker.* In some other countries, the ISBN is free, but in the US they are not. They are expensive, so it’s best to buy them in bulk if you can. You can buy a block of ten which would cover ten separate paperback or hardcopy books. KDP, Lulu, and other POD (Print on Demand) companies do provide ISBNs for free if you absolutely cannot afford to buy one
But…
Free assigned ISBNs belong to the company that issues it, such as KDP or Lulu. This means they (KDP/Lulu/Other said company) are listed as the publishers of that book, not you.
*There are tons of fake ISBN companies out there. If you are in the US, be sure you purchase your ISBN from Bowker.
Once you have your own company, you will want to have your books listed under your company name. If you are the publisher, you should be listed as the publisher. If ownership is important to you, buying your own ISBNs is something you might want to look into.
With your company name legalized, your business structure secure, your EIN in hand, your bank account set up, and books under your ISBN, you have positioned yourself as a serious business person. It is now easier than ever for high-profile people to do business with you.
It’s easy to go the free route, but free is limiting, and it does not always set you apart. Creating an actual business complete with the necessary paperwork makes it easier for you to stay organized, file taxes, rise above the crowd, and stand out as a professional author.
Extra Tips
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created. Don’t let scam publishing companies fool you by saying “Keep 100% of Your Copyright.” This means they are promising you something you already have. For publishing rights (different from copyright) all you have to do is buy your own ISBN. If you want to go the extra mile and register a copyright with the copyright office you can do that inexpensively at copyright.gov.
When tightening up your writing business, be sure you have both a paperback and a digital version of your book available.
I talk a lot about paperbacks because a). I have personally done better with paperbacks and b). authors can sell paperbacks through their own author website along with cool author swag and things instead of relying only on Amazon. However, that doesn’t negate the importance of having digital versions of your book available too. We are living in a digital age, and with everything being online, authors without digital books will be left out. Brick and Mortar bookstores without an online presence are struggling right now.
For those who sell paperbacks, consider lowering your print book price if you do not see sales. I love buying paperbacks from Indies, but a lot of them are also costly. I am not saying you can’t raise your price (I have a separate post about that here), that there aren’t people who will buy at that price, or that your book isn’t quality enough to sell that price.
I am only saying to be realistic.
Who is buying a $30 (plus s&h) 100-page paperback from an unknown first-time Self-Published Author?
Do what works for you, but make sure you are being practical.
When I first drafted this post, I watched a video of Tyler Perry advising entrepreneurs. I am not a big Perry fan, but when people are advising about business, I listen. Perry talked about entrepreneurs learning when to let go. Here,he meant letting go of business practices that no longer serve you once your business grows. He spoke of not being so used to how it has always been done that we are not open to change. For example, Perry’s sister used to keep receipts in a folder, but as Tyler’s business grew, that kind of accounting system no longer worked for taxes. Not when you have over 400 employees.
As professional Indie Authors, we must have the same mindset. This may not be ideal for everyone, but if you fit one of these categories a legal business name and account may be worth it:
You’ve been publishing awhile and you are making a significant income from your books and services.
You want to separate your personal funds (finances from your day job or other income) from your book business.
Yecheilyah Ysrayl
Yecheilyah (e-see-li-yah) Ysrayl is an Author, Blogger, and Poet from Chicago. She writes Black Historical Fiction, Soulful Poetry, and anything else her mind thinks up. Yecheilyah has been writing since she was twelve years old and publishing since 2010. She studied Technical and Professional Writing at Chicago State University and Psychology with a minor in child and adolescent studies from Argosy University, Atlanta. She now lives in Dallas, GA, with her husband, where she writes and publishes full-time while attending the University of West Alabama online. She is currently working on her first Urban Fantasy Novel, The Women with Blue Eyes, to be released in late 2021.
There’s a spectre haunting us that’s making its presence more and more known. At first, I dismissed my awareness of this wraith, thinking it was perhaps simply a trick of nostalgia, or changing tastes. Every generation, after all, cannot help but hanker a little for the way things were before. Times change, and this is a good thing, because it provides an opportunity for growth and new beginnings, but we should be wise enough as a species now to know that sometimes change is not always for the better. The relentless advance of technology has enabled incredible things: friendships that could have never been, connectedness during a pandemic, access to medical care that the medieval world would have undoubtedly considered magical. However, it is also bringing with it a slew of astonishingly awful consequences, and to my mind the worst of these is a frightening endemic occurring in the Western world: the inability to end stories.
I’m seeing so many writers throw away their endings, as though they’re the least important part of the story, as though the reader is somehow a naive fool for expecting things to pay off.
I should say that I am not some grumpy old man bemoaning the changing face of literature. I welcome innovation; I welcome a broader array of writers and writing styles, and I have done my small part in shepherding and promoting (in my humble opinion) some of the finest of these new voices. I should also say that I am not proposing that no-one can end their stories, as that would be hyperbolic nonsense, and would denigrate the amazing authors I’m connected to who are absolutely knocking the ball out of the park. However, outside of my circle of author friends and brilliant writers, I am noticing a problem, a problem that, if left unaddressed, could have serious consequences for the cultural psyche of the Western world.
Over the last three or four years I’ve noticed a trend, one that is gaining frightening momentum; for lack of a better descriptor, the “anti-ending”. This is where the author decides that resolutions are for wimps and instead destroys everything they have spent 400 pages (or multiple seasons) building; there is not one shred of hope or redemption in it. This is not – I hasten to add – simply the “downer” ending or the “claw out of the ground” stinger, which certainly have their place in horror (or indeed any genre if done right). No, this is a not so much a decimation as an abdication, where the writer neglects their duty to deliver, but yet makes a meal out of that fact, as if they have achieved something tremendous.
Neil Gaiman once said “George R. R. Martin is not your bitch” and that “the only contract a writer makes is that the book in your hand will be good” and people loved it. But we need to examine this statement deeper, because I personally think Gaiman is wrong. Profoundly wrong. Martin is obviously not our bitch, but he does have a duty to us, all writers have duties to their readers. Martin made promises, and good human beings keep their promises to the best of their ability to do so. An independent author like myself could never have gotten away with failing to finish my Black Gate trilogy. My readership was and is small, but very passionate – I don’t think they would have easily forgiven me. We should not therefore believe this fake narrative that successful writers have no obligations to us. They absolutely do.
As I stated before, this “anti-ending” isn’t universal – yet. It’s prevalent largely in the West, and I think results from several cultural factors, which someone with greater knowledge of sociological movements can elucidate further. There are also many bright lights who I think will carry us forward into a booming new era of narrative, if we let them. My concern is the negative shadow-image of these bright lights, the darker forces opposing meaning, beauty, and truth. These shadows are nihilistic, and rejoice in the absence of meaning, in the subversion of expectations for the sake of subverted expectations, rather than to deliver true catharsis.
You have probably already worked out where I’m going with this, but for a moment, let’s talk about Game of Thrones. We understand some of the reasons why that show failed to conclude satisfactorily: the showrunners Weiss and Benioff wanted to get their Disney contract, so weren’t fully committed; they lacked the source-material because George R. R. Martin has failed to produce books 6 & 7; the list goes on. However, I think there are deeper and more philosophical reasons than these. Game of Thrones didn’t just feel like a rush job (although undoubtedly it was), it also felt heartless.
If you look at the character arcs that the previous seasons had set up, such as the redemption of Jaime Lannister, we see a rejection of those ideas in the conclusion. The philosophy of Weiss and Benioff is that Jaime should not be allowed to redeem himself and change. Ultimately, we always go back to being the scumbags we were, however much we “seem” to develop. This is done under the pretense of being “realistic”, but actually is exactly the opposite, for human beings are able to grow. For someone to have been through all that Jaime had been, and then U-turn in the final episodes, was a defiance of storytelling and all it means. This is just one pillar of a collapsing palace, but it illustrates the overarching dearth of understanding quite emblematically.
In my view, storytelling is healing. We tell stories to rectify the broken narrative of the Self … Stories can only achieve this healing when they end truly, when they give us some kind of resolution, even if it’s a dark and forlorn one.
In my view, storytelling is healing. We tell stories to rectify the broken narrative of the Self. In psychology there is a concept called “narrative therapy”; it shows once again that the ancients and myth-makers understood something quite profound: we need stories as much as we need physical medicine, to make sense of the world, to understand why we exist, to answer the big questions, and to show us that we can grow (and sometimes warn us of what happens if we don’t, as with the tragedies). Stories can only achieve this healing when they end truly, when they give us some kind of resolution, even if it’s a dark and forlorn one. I think it’s psychologically fascinating that this problem of not being able to “end” seems to have been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has no visible termination point; it’s an endless suspension of life, of real human interaction. However, this only increases the importance of ending our fiction, of finding a healing there where it is more difficult to find in reality.
I’m seeing this worrying trend in novels as well, which is, in some ways, most disturbing of all. In television and film, there are producers and marketers and other factors involved that all want to have their say, and control the financial resources to a degree; I get that (it’s also what makes the failure of Game of Thrones so bizarre – the producers were uncharacteristically accommodating due to the success of the series and would have let Weiss and Benioff have as much time and money as they needed to make it work). But with novels, there should be fewer external factors, especially in the independent field.
Yet still, I’m seeing so many writers throw away their endings, as though they’re the least important part of the story, as though the reader is somehow a naive fool for expecting things to pay off. I’m not going to name names, because that would be childish and spiteful, but I’m shocked because in some cases these are writers I considered high calibre – the fault isn’t due to a lack of technical ability. This brings me back to an age-old editing adage I often repeat: “I’ll take passionate writing over perfectly edited and boring writing any day of the week.” When passion is there, I rarely see this problem, and this is why I echo reviewer Dan Stubbing’s wise comment that a lot of the best work coming out these days is independent or self-published; it comes from the heart, the Muse, a higher plane of being. It isn’t the product of crude pseudo-intellectualism.
Star Wars and its sequel trilogy are an easy target, but it is good to have such a cultural touchstone as an example. Suffice to say that if we compare the mythopoeic and Taoist depths of the original trilogy (which are not without fault, but they did a lot right), to the modern toy-selling vehicle, there are simply no words to describe the vast gulf between the two. There were moments where it shadowed greatness, where I felt there was hope, but it was always dashed by some bizarre inability to embrace consequence. And this is one key way to look at it. The great biographer Tristine Rainer said that the definition of a climax is “Something must die, so something can live.” This implies a kind of sacrifice. If words are magic, then this is the ritual we must perform – we must make an offering, we must take something away, in order to achieve complete healing.
In some ways, this is the archetypal mythology and theology that sits at the heart of the human mind: it is Christ upon the Cross, healing the world by virtue of passing out of it. The problem with “Disneyfication”, as it has been termed, is that “no one is ever really gone” – these are the words spoken by Luke Skywalker to Princess Leia in The Last Jedi. I love the spiritual sentiment of these words, but they also reveal a deeper level of narrative fear.
We see this in many of the blockbusters – no one is ever dead, characters are just brand-assets that can be wheeled out again at a later date, all endings have to be open to allow for sequels. And I should say I’m not just talking about a literal interpretation of Rainer’s words and killing a character. Many things could die for something else to live. A way of life could die, a memory, a hope, a dream, or, if you are writing a more light-hearted or comedic story, perhaps a character’s pride and hubris could finally perish on the altar in order to birth true love.
I find myself increasingly appreciating the joy of a single stand-alone movie, an open and shut case, as well as stand-alone novels. Big long-running series (I’m talking more than three entries here) – whether of books or films – are ambitious and can be beautiful, but they should not be the default, as this often leads to the writer having to artificially extend the plot via crude means. In sitcoms, it’s the old trick of having the principle couple split up after they’ve finally gotten together so a few more series can be eked out, but this isn’t real story, this is filler content. I admire Japanese animes for how they boldly declare “FINAL SEASON” and stick with it; rarely do animes run longer than four or five seasons. They are complete stories, with structure, with beginning, middle, and end. This is one reason they have such fanatic fanbases (and boy am I a part of it). We can talk about animes as whole and complete artefacts.
If we’re to start a cultural revolution, we need to remember how the story ends, and that the ending may not be your favourite part, but it is undoubtedly the most important part: it’s what you leave the reader on, it’s the final goodbye to the lover on their deathbed, it’s the summation of all your story means.
If we’re to start a cultural revolution, we need to remember how the story ends, and that the ending may not be your favourite part, but it is undoubtedly the most important part: it’s what you leave the reader on, it’s the final goodbye to the lover on their deathbed, it’s the summation of all your story means. Don’t cheaply discard such moments as if they mean nothing, or eternally suspend them with the hope of sequels, because you only denigrate your art. Whatever modernists say, creating any form of art, whether music, literature, fine art, or film, is a moral duty – I leave to you where this duty is bestowed from. It is our role to show the world as it truly is, to use lies to tell the truth, and to show the secret and invisible palaces of dream that can only be described in the language of the imagination. In the words of Theoden in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, “If this is to be our end, then I would have us make such an end, as to be worthy of remembrance.”
Paradoxically, it’s only when we learn how to end, that we become everlasting.
Joseph Sale
Joseph Sale edits non-fiction and fiction, helping fledgling authors to realise their potential. He has edited some of the best new voices in speculative fiction including Ross Jeffery, Emily Harrison, Christa Wojciechowski, and more.
He has authored more than ten novels, including his Black Gate trilogy, and his love-letter to fantasy: Save Game. His short fiction has appeared in Tales from the Shadow Booth, edited by Dan Coxon, as well as in Idle Ink, Silver Blade, Fiction Vortex, Nonbinary Review, Edgar Allan Poet and Storgy Magazine. His stories have also appeared in anthologies such as You Are Not Alone (Storgy), Lost Voices (The Writing Collective), Technological Horror (Dark Hall Press), Burnt Fur (Blood Bound Books) and Exit Earth (Storgy).
Have you ever wondered why writers block is such a difficulty to get past?
I will tell you the reason—you can’t write what you can’t see.
It sounds quite simple right?
In other words, the real secret to unblocking writers block is remembering the writers’ most powerful asset that allows them to unlock their imagination and in turn do the same for their readers. That amazing asset is visualization.
Of course, if you are an artist you already know that, but that is also why it is such a problem. It does not lie in the knowing but in the lack of providing that visualization with the necessary fuel to unleash its full potential.
So how would I suggest you doing this?
In my book, Mastering Your Scenes, I talk about the importance of sketching to aide in your visualization of the scenes you are trying to build.
Here are some very helpful ways to prime the pump of visualization and permanently kiss writers block goodbye when it comes to building your scenes.
Unblocking Writers Block – Visualization
Get out to a location that is similar to the one you have in mind for your scene and take pictures with a phone or camera or just bring some paper and begin to write down or draw out what you see.
Surf the Internet and find pictures of similar locations.
Find someone that you know that is knowledgeable about a similar location and pick their brains, taking lots of notes.
Instead of drawing anything, use a picture from the Internet with naturally occurring things such as rocks, sticks, buildings and etc. as a base or template. Once you have accomplished this, just alter the rest in your mind and remove what is not necessary. Begin to reshape it in your drafting to meet your own needs.
I’m sure you can probably think of some other ways of priming that pump of visualization and no matter what way that is, as long as you realize that sometimes it is necessary to do so. If you do not, you will find yourself discouraged and frustrated that you cannot clearly see what happens in your scene, or at the worst, end up writing out a scene that doesn’t feel very real to you or your reader, even if it has a lot going on.
The fundamental point is that the more realistic your scene becomes to you, the more realistic you will be able to make it to your readers.
However, this is impossible without a strong sense of visualization. Visualization will not do you much good without it being nourished with some of the things we have mentioned above so that your creative juices begin to fully awaken.
Then you will be left with the wonderful problem of trying to shut down an overactive imagination that will not stop flooding you with ideas. That is a very good problem for any writer (except when it is bedtime).
Give this a try next time you get stuck and let me know in the comments how this has helped you breakthrough your writers block. Also, check out Mastering Your Scenes to get a whole lot more on how to put that fiendish writers block into a time looping vortex from which it will never be able to return!
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J. A. Cox is a husband, father and disabled veteran. He enjoys entertaining with fiction based on the concept that fact is stranger than fiction and then stretching it just a tad to create some memorable page-turning moments that you will likely recall for some time to come.
