# The Dreaded 'Middle Of The Book' Doldrums



## T.S.Bowman (May 20, 2014)

So, it seems that I have gotten to the middle (or at least the general area) of my WIP. I am 80k words in and things had been flowing REALLY well...up until recently.

I just can't figure out a good way to transition from a slightly slower period of the book (not much slower, though) to the start of the build up toward the climax. 

I know where the characters need to go, but I feel like there is some "oomph" missing. It's not the characters, they are actually pretty good, if I may say so. It's more the 'action' that I am having trouble with. 

The last thing I want is to have people losing interest at this point. They've been on the journey with my MC for a while (if they have gotten this far) and it's not fair having them realize it got dull.

Everything I have written to try to move forward has been crap. Even the dialogue, which I am normally pretty decent at, has been horrible.

I am starting to get desperate here. I need to figure out a way out of the doldrums I find myself in.

Any suggestions? I have been trying the "just write" thing and it isn't working all that well. :-(


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## A_Jones (May 20, 2014)

Isnt this the 'reveal' moment?  You know right after the hump of the middle of the book when the reader has learned about the plot premise and the characters, isnt there a sudden reveal of information about a character or a plot event that comes as a surprise?  And its that last push that causes everything to start sliding down hill to the amazing end?


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## T.S.Bowman (May 20, 2014)

Maybe I am a little further than that, then. I _did_ the plot reveal a few chapters ago. Maybe that's why I am stuck. LOL

If I had any hair to pull out, I would do it at this point.


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## Riptide (May 20, 2014)

... I need to write like you.  The longest novel I've written was 55k words. I hate those slow parts... So I speed it up. Anyway, for you... Um, how about you just leap right into it? What's your problem, really? Just a little more insight into it all


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## T.S.Bowman (May 20, 2014)

I have reached a point where my MC is in the City of Light speaking to the Queen there. One of the things I wanted to have happen there is to have another character be introduced at this point. I know that's "planning", but it really seem like the right place, since I don't want her just showing up on the road somewhere down the line. This character has been sent by the Wizard Council to lend a hand since the wizards can't directly interfere.

Maybe I should just keep trying until it feels right. Maybe she isn't supposed to show up there. Nothing I am trying seems to be working. Maybe it's just that I have been looking at it for so long I can no longer see the forest for the trees.

*edit* Finishing a novel at 55K words is not a bad thing at all. I kinda wish I could have done that with my WIP. Would have saved a lot of headaches and it would have been finished a couple of years ago. LOL


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## Riptide (May 20, 2014)

Um... how about... how's this new character? Her personality like? I was thinking having her leave little clues here and there, like trailing the MC enough so they turn at an image in the corner of his/her eyes, but nothing's there. Um: Queen introduces them. This character communicated through the MC's dreams, telling them to meet up somewhere. An ambush happens and the Character runs in to help. Eh... bumps into each other at town and she says high, then follows the MC all over, freaky stakerish like, completely weirding out the MC when they try to lose them and all... Yeah, I don't know if any of these even fit


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## T.S.Bowman (May 20, 2014)

Riptide said:


> Eh... bumps into each other at town and she says high,



OMG!!! BRILLIANT!!! 

I had an "incidental" character come in a few chapters ago. I am going to have to do a little bit of adjusting for the timeline...but I can totally make that work. The "incidental" was a messenger girl who caught my MC a little off guard. SHE is now going to be the one who was sent there. Neither of them actually know that, though. LOL

That doesn't completely fill in the rut I found myself in, but it's a big help.

Thank you!!!


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## Bishop (May 20, 2014)

Things I do when I can't think of what next in the scene:

Place myself in my character's shoes. What would I do? (Usually involves flying through space going "wwweeeee!") But this can really help you put one foot in front of the other rather literally and get the plot rolling.

Add a fan service scene. Probably not best in your particular area, and I can't really say I have fans, but I sometimes throw in a scene that only advances the plot a little, but shows our characters in their natural environment. I threw in a casino scene in my second book, only a couple of pages long, but my readers felt it was a nice glimpse at the characters. Obviously, there are parts in the story where this won't work, i.e. when the final battle is beginning or moments of high drama.

Have a random attack or event just happen to your MCs. Just walking down the street, then BAM. Ninjas. What? The story? No, that was my Tuesday afternoon. Kidding, only kidding... or am I? Seriously, though. Throwing in a moment where suddenly they're surrounded by the enemy, or someone hands them a note that says their fate ends in death... this can give the plot a jolt and can also force you to add new events to the book that demand to be explained, making you write more.

Add a secret. Subplots help the middle a lot, because it gives you a bridge toward the end. In my second book, I had two characters who had a crush on one another, but refused to accept it in themselves, and ended up in a lot of petty fights, resenting the other person for no reason other than secretly liking them. This also works for things like a character finding out a juicy secret and considering whether or not to tell the rest of the crew...

Jump a scene. Sometimes it helps to jump to the part you know you want to write. The climax, the next big fight scene... but us pantsers sometimes have trouble. The way to fix this is to think "okay, I do want THIS to eventually happen." Make it happen.

Take a quick break and read. Preferably within your genre, to help get ideas. Sometimes, reading really helps jump start things, makes you think "oh hey, that reminds me, I kinda want MY main character to become a stripper!"

Lastly... put one word after the next. Yes, it can suck, and can be particularly hard at the beginning of a sentence, but sometimes you just have to grind it out. Once, an entire paragraph took me three hours to write. It was a rough day, but after that it began to flow again. It always will, even when you think you're entirely out of gas.

AND if that all fails... take a break. Eat some ice cream. Watch some Star Trek The Next Generation. Preferably the episode where the Enterprise-C travels forward in time to meet the Enterprise-D and changes the timeline so that they're at war with the klingons. Or the one where they put Data on trial as whether he is a person or property. Or ANY Q episode. Oh, actually, watch ALL the Q episodes. And then watch ALL of Star Trek TNG. Then ALL of Voyager, particularly "Year of Hell", at least two or three times, seriously that's like the best two parter ever.

Wait, what were we talking about again?


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## T.S.Bowman (May 21, 2014)

Bishop said:


> Add a secret. Subplots help the middle a lot, because it gives you a bridge toward the end. In my second book, I had two characters who had a crush on one another, but refused to accept it in themselves, and ended up in a lot of petty fights, resenting the other person for no reason other than secretly liking them. This also works for things like a character finding out a juicy secret and considering whether or not to tell the rest of the crew...



This is exactly the direction I was going to head in. The character, having been sent by the wizards, is privvy to information that Brian (and even Philip) doesn't know. The readers MIGHT know, if they picked up on it.



> Wait, what were we talking about again?



I'm not entirely sure,


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## Morkonan (May 22, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> ...Any suggestions? I have been trying the "just write" thing and it isn't working all that well. :-(



One way you can avoid this particular problem, IMO, by "splitting up your party."

How many books end up with two separate groups of characters, both attempting to overcome the main obstacle, but both having their own, more immediate, goals. The groups of characters may never even meet or, if so, only briefly. They could have multiple objectives, some unknowingly counterproductive to the efforts of the other party (introducing high drama, indeed), but honestly chosen, just the same. Each party goes through their periods of "dire straits" and "boring infodumps." But, by switching back and forth, you can avoid the problem of Reader Doldrums by switching focus at appropriate times, to a large degree. Unfortunately, that won't do anything for Writing Doldrums. You'll still have to find enough wind to fill your own sails.

This is just a suggestion and may not be appropriate. But, read enough stories and you'll see that even though the Reader might be playfully aggravated with postponed rewards as they switch back-and-forth between narrators or perspectives, they'll be much less likely to get bored if you, the Writer, feel you're having problems holding their attention.

Or, you can always bring in a guy with a gun... http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CHANDLERSLAW


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## A_Jones (May 22, 2014)

Morkonan said:


> One way you can avoid this particular problem, IMO, by "splitting up your party."



I totally did that in Fae.  It was the cliche 'figure out how much you liked her once she is gone' part of a classic fairy tale I needed plus it gave me two strait chapters of action suspence and drama.  It was awesome!   Then once they got back together and had an awkward 'um I guess we kinda like each other' moment the rest of the story spewed out.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 22, 2014)

Morkonan said:


> One way you can avoid this particular problem, IMO, by "splitting up your party."
> 
> How many books end up with two separate groups of characters, both attempting to overcome the main obstacle, but both having their own, more immediate, goals. The groups of characters may never even meet or, if so, only briefly. They could have multiple objectives, some unknowingly counterproductive to the efforts of the other party (introducing high drama, indeed), but honestly chosen, just the same. Each party goes through their periods of "dire straits" and "boring infodumps." But, by switching back and forth, you can avoid the problem of Reader Doldrums by switching focus at appropriate times, to a large degree. Unfortunately, that won't do anything for Writing Doldrums. You'll still have to find enough wind to fill your own sails.
> 
> ...



The only problem with "splitting the party" is that my party only consists of two characters at this point. LOL

I did, however, do a little bit of the switching you refer to by doing a couple of chapters about a meeting of wizards where they were trying to determine whether or not they could send help to my MC. That was also where the antagonist was revealed to the reader and one of the other mains, but not to the MC himself.

It was one particular scene I was stuck on because I was trying to figure out how to bring in another essential character.


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## Sam (May 23, 2014)

Let me ask you a serious question: 

If you had never heard someone talk about the "dreaded middle of the book doldrums", would you have ever known of its existence? Conversely, had you not known of its existence, would it have ever bothered you or crossed your mind? 

If someone says to you in the waiting room of a business that they have a bad dose of flu, you'll start to sniffle when you're next alone. Even though you weren't in their vicinity, and they didn't cough near you, you believe that you now have the flu and so you begin to exhibit symptoms that have no definable organic cause. This is called 'conversion disorder', formerly 'hysteria', and it demonstrates the power of the human brain. If you think you have the flu, your body makes you have the flu (or at least the common symptoms thereof). 

Your "middle of the book doldrums" follows the same principle. If you believe it exists, you'll make it exist.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 23, 2014)

Sam said:


> Let me ask you a serious question:
> 
> If you had never heard someone talk about the "dreaded middle of the book doldrums", would you have ever known of its existence? Conversely, had you not known of its existence, would it have ever bothered you or crossed your mind?



Fair enough question, I suppose.

A long time ago, probably 7 or 8 years or so, I wrote a couple of other "long" works and encountered the same kind of thing. It would be going along nice and smooth, then I would hit a patch where I just couldn't get things to work. It took me a couple of weeks to be able to work out what was happening and get it things moving again.

So to answer your question, even not knowing the name or whatever, yes, I have experienced it before. In my case, it's one of the pitfalls of being a Pantser. Sometimes I just run into a spot where the Seat of My Pants plant themselves firmly on the couch where I do my writing and refuse to fly. *shrug*

I do get what you are saying, I think. It's kind of like the hypochondriac "developing symptoms" from being in the general vicinity of someone who is ill. I'm sure there have been cases where it's happened. I believe it would be due to someone new coming to a site like this and seeing all the things said about the craft. They may then start to think too much about some things rather than just write the story.


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## Sam (May 23, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> I believe it would be due to someone new coming to a site like this and seeing all the things said about the craft. They may then start to think too much about some things rather than just write the story.



Precisely my point, and one I've been making for years.


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## Jeko (May 23, 2014)

> I know where the characters need to go, but I feel like there is some "oomph" missing.



I think the 'oomph' that's missing is the fact that you're not writing it and pretending you have a problem instead. You're more worried about how you're writing it than what you're writing about; you probably need to get out of your own head and into your characters'.

That, or the writer inside you is going '_slower period?_'. Defining periods as 'slow' or 'fast' isn't a good drafting practice, IMO. The reader will only think about that _after _they've read it.


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## Bishop (May 23, 2014)

Sam said:


> Let me ask you a serious question:
> 
> If you had never heard someone talk about the "dreaded middle of the book doldrums", would you have ever known of its existence? Conversely, had you not known of its existence, would it have ever bothered you or crossed your mind?
> 
> ...



On the other side of this coin, something can exist and plague you even if you don't know what it is. He's having trouble coming up with the next part of his story, and no matter what you call this issue, it exists. Sometimes, a writer doesn't know which way to go. I understand that you are skeptical that this can happen, that you believe with discipline it can be overcome... but not every brain works the same way.

A similar example are the yips. It's a breakdown of the basic motor function that a person already has practiced many many times. For instance, once when playing golf with my father, I began to over-think every move, and wound up often slicing hard into the woods, or just topping the ball and barely getting a few yards off the tee box. It was the worst game of golf I'd ever played. It happened the next day's front nine as well, until I finally stopped caring and just relaxed, playing without keeping score for the rest of the round. I had no idea what this condition was "called" until my dad said at the end of the round, "Boy, you had the yips something bad." The next time I played, I stayed calm, but was able to keep score this time, and did much better.

Sometimes, people hit a rough patch. Some people can get past it easier than others, some techniques work for some people than others. The reality is that these names for things don't come about until after someone's noticed the trend. The flu wasn't called the flu until they found out the real reason people were coughing and sneezing. The yips weren't called the yips until some idiot called them the yips. And the middle of the book duldrums didn't have a name until someone called it that after noticing the condition in him/herself or others.

Again, I'm not saying everyone gets it, but it does happen. And I'm also not saying there's no way around it. There is. In my experience, you just keep on writing. But that's my experience and could be radically different than someone else's.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 23, 2014)

Sam said:


> Precisely my point, and one I've been making for years.



Yup. I totaly understand where you are coming from, Sam. But keep in mind how many books/stories you have written and/or published as opposed to me.

While it may not come easy,or maybe it does, for you, for me, sometimes it just doesn't. A big part of that, I think, is simply because I haven't really done a whole lot of writing. After all, 80K words really isn't that much in the grand scheme of things. Had I not allowed someone to discourage me enough to stop writing when I was young, I would probably be at the point now where I didn't run into things like The Doldrums. But I do.

It really doesn't have anything, other than knowing a term for it now, to do with having seen things on this site or any other. I have had it happen before I knew of the existence of this place.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 23, 2014)

Cadence said:


> I think the 'oomph' that's missing is the fact that you're not writing it and pretending you have a problem instead. You're more worried about how you're writing it than what you're writing about; you probably need to get out of your own head and into your characters'.
> 
> That, or the writer inside you is going '_slower period?_'. Defining periods as 'slow' or 'fast' isn't a good drafting practice, IMO. The reader will only think about that _after _they've read it.



Good point. I am terrible about being overly critical of what I am writing.

Honestly, what you say about pretending to have a problem might have been pretty accurate when I first started getting back to the novel.

I remember saying I was having trouble getting going on the novel again because I was forced to take a hiatus from it and when I went back to it, I had lost the flow and my prose had dulled.

Fortunately, those problems have gone away for the most part and my confidence has returned.


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## Sam (May 23, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> Yup. I totaly understand where you are coming from, Sam. But keep in mind how many books/stories you have written and/or published as opposed to me.
> 
> While it may not come easy,or maybe it does, for you, for me, sometimes it just doesn't. A big part of that, I think, is simply because I haven't really done a whole lot of writing. After all, 80K words really isn't that much in the grand scheme of things. Had I not allowed someone to discourage me enough to stop writing when I was young, I would probably be at the point now where I didn't run into things like The Doldrums. But I do.
> 
> It really doesn't have anything, other than knowing a term for it now, to do with having seen things on this site or any other. I have had it happen before I knew of the existence of this place.



I think you have misunderstood my point here. 

I'm showing you the psychology behind it. Do you know why people procrastinate? I'll explain why. If I were to offer you one hundred thousand pounds now or two hundred thousand in five years' time, which would you take? You would take the hundred thousand right now. Why? Because it carries no inherent risk. You don't know what will happen in five years, so you make your decision based on what will make you feel good and content now, even though the reward is greater if you wait five years. That's how procrastination works. Working on your paper or your novel now will yield a greater reward than not working on it, but it takes time to reach that, so you take the option that makes you feel good now: you watch TV or read a book, tasks that carry no inherent risk but make you feel good now as opposed to having to wait or put in the work to make yourself feel better a year down the line. 

Beating procrastination is all about tricking the mind. In fact, beating any such malady is all about tricking the mind. That's why I asked you whether you would have given a passing thought to 'middle of the book doldrums' if you had never heard of it. You probably have never heard of ringworm, but it's a disease that can be passed from animals to humans. Ask any veterinarian and they will tell you that if you don't think about it, you won't get it. If I tell you exists, what will you do? You'll automatically think about it and increase the risk of getting it. 

That's my point. If you don't know something exists, there's a lot less chance that you will ever encounter it.


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## Bishop (May 23, 2014)

Sam said:


> You probably have never heard of ringworm, but it's a disease that can be passed from animals to humans. Ask any veterinarian and they will tell you that if you don't think about it, you won't get it. If I tell you exists, what will you do? You'll automatically think about it and increase the risk of getting it.
> 
> That's my point. If you don't know something exists, there's a lot less chance that you will ever encounter it.



I had never heard of scarlet fever before I got it either, but I still got it. Similarly, tell this to people who have late stage Lyme disease. A friend of mine had no idea what Lyme disease was, no idea that it came from ticks. And when he got a tick that he didn't notice for a day or two, he didn't know what Lyme disease was going to do to his system for the next 4 years. It went un-diagnosed for a very long time before he learned what Lyme disease was. And if I pickup and play with a stray dog with ringworm, guess what I'm going to get whether I know what it is or not? The same can be true of purely mental disorders. Sure, ADD is over-diagnosed these days, but it existed before it was studied. And before people knew what schizophrenia was their solutions for it included exorcisms.

But those aren't book issues. Those are medical issues. "Middle of the book duldrums" is a phrase that assigns a name to the feeling of uncertainty and a lack of creativity that results from creative fatigue after having worked on something for an extended period of time. Whether you call it "middle of the book duldrums" or "can't create-itosis" or "you suck go home-itis" it still occurs in people. Yes, there may be solutions for it that include tricking the mind, but those solutions don't work on everyone in the same way that giving penicillin to certain people with syphilis is the very wrong answer.

It's logical to present as many solutions as possible to someone suffering from this issue, because any one of them could work where another might not. Dismissing the issue is dismissing him as a creative mind. "You only have this because you think you have this" is basically saying that "this condition doesn't exist, you just can't create." He's not encountering this issue because he knows the issue exists somewhere in the realm of the world. He's encountering this issue because when he sits down to look at the page, he doesn't know what word to put down next. That issue has afflicted every writer, maybe for only a half of a second, maybe for years. People are all different, and while some people might be able to soldier past it and write ANY word that comes to their mind, other people mentally cannot do that. It's not how their creative mind works. It'd be like telling someone with lupus: "Hey, have you tried not having lupus?"

He's not procrastinating. He's literally unable to think of what happens next in his book. He wants to write. But he can't.


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## Morkonan (May 23, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> The only problem with "splitting the party" is that my party only consists of two characters at this point. LOL
> 
> I did, however, do a little bit of the switching you refer to by doing a couple of chapters about a meeting of wizards where they were trying to determine whether or not they could send help to my MC. That was also where the antagonist was revealed to the reader and one of the other mains, but not to the MC himself.
> 
> It was one particular scene I was stuck on because I was trying to figure out how to bring in another essential character.



Use that "lull" to bring in other characters and switch focus for a bit. Then, in your back-and-forths, the Reader doesn't have time to realize that nothing much is going on in one storyline, what with everything new and exciting happening in the other. Lots of stories do this with great effect. But, of course, the Reader can get a bit peeved about cliff-hangers at the end of a chapter and old questions remaining unresolved while you work on bringing in new ones. But, hey, it's all about keeping the Reader reading, so if they're still reading, yet ticked off with you, you're doing your job.


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## Morkonan (May 23, 2014)

Sam said:


> Let me ask you a serious question:
> 
> If you had never heard someone talk about the "dreaded middle of the book doldrums", would you have ever known of its existence? Conversely, had you not known of its existence, would it have ever bothered you or crossed your mind? ...



The Laws of Physics are the same, everywhere...

In other words, there are common problems that writers encounter during the creation process. One of them is called "The Dreaded Middle of the Book." (Or, "Middle of the Book Doldrums", if you prefer) That doesn't mean that _all _writers encounter that problem. Just because it has a name doesn't mean that it's endemic - It's only just common enough to qualify for a generic understanding of it amongst writers. I know that I can misspell the word "the", but that doesn't mean that I consistently do it. Every once-in-awhile, though, it happens... The solution is simple - Use a spellchecker and pay attention to it!  Unfortunately, the solution to some creative problems that can occur when writing is not often as simple. I think the "Doldrums" is one of those, for some writers. For others, they just insert a man with a gun and everything starts to flow nicely, again...


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## T.S.Bowman (May 24, 2014)

Morkonan said:


> Use that "lull" to bring in other characters and switch focus for a bit. Then, in your back-and-forths, the Reader doesn't have time to realize that nothing much is going on in one storyline, what with everything new and exciting happening in the other. Lots of stories do this with great effect. But, of course, the Reader can get a bit peeved about cliff-hangers at the end of a chapter and old questions remaining unresolved while you work on bringing in new ones. But, hey, it's all about keeping the Reader reading, so if they're still reading, yet ticked off with you, you're doing your job.



That was precisely the idea that I got from the conversations here. A character that I wasn't quite sure how to introduce, I came to realize, already has been through a bit of misdirection on her part along with a little help from the Queen. 

I have used that little tidbit I picked up here and wrote another 800 words or so from the point where I was bogged down.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 24, 2014)

Bishop said:


> But those aren't book issues. Those are medical issues. "Middle of the book duldrums" is a phrase that assigns a name to the feeling of uncertainty and a lack of creativity that results from creative fatigue after having worked on something for an extended period of time. Whether you call it "middle of the book duldrums" or "can't create-itosis" or "you suck go home-itis" it still occurs in people. Yes, there may be solutions for it that include tricking the mind, but those solutions don't work on everyone in the same way that giving penicillin to certain people with syphilis is the very wrong answer.
> 
> It's logical to present as many solutions as possible to someone suffering from this issue, because any one of them could work where another might not. Dismissing the issue is dismissing him as a creative mind. "You only have this because you think you have this" is basically saying that "this condition doesn't exist, you just can't create." He's not encountering this issue because he knows the issue exists somewhere in the realm of the world. He's encountering this issue because when he sits down to look at the page, he doesn't know what word to put down next. That issue has afflicted every writer, maybe for only a half of a second, maybe for years. People are all different, and while some people might be able to soldier past it and write ANY word that comes to their mind, other people mentally cannot do that. It's not how their creative mind works. It'd be like telling someone with lupus: "Hey, have you tried not having lupus?"
> 
> He's not procrastinating. He's literally unable to think of what happens next in his book. He wants to write. But he can't.



^This.

It wasn't that I was procrastinating, I have gotten over that since my confidence in my ability to write a good story returned. I was just plain ole stuck at a specific point. It was just a lack of a creative idea that kept me from progressing. I am not one that can write scenes out of sequence. I tried it and it just doesn't work well for me. So I did a little work on another project I started recently. I started this thread, and from the conversations and suggestions that people made, I found a way to move forward in the novel. 

Sometimes, for some writers, having a "sounding board" is a good thing. It can help get the creative juices flowing again when things get bogged down a bit. 

Sam, from what I have seen here on this forum,  you yourself are a big proponent of "whatever works for the individual" when it comes to the writing process. 

I have run into the problem I had on a few different occasions. So it wasn't a case of knowing what it was called so the problem happened. It was just something that happens pretty regularly to me while working on a project. It normally only happens once during a project. I don't expect it to happen. I would much prefer that it didn't. I have also had a few projects when it didn't happen at all. 

Sometimes, I just get stuck. When I do, I find that having someone to talk to about the area that sticks and getting even the smallest suggestions is very helpful. Even the smallest nugget of conversation can be very advantageous.

Having that "sounding board" is what works for me.


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## Sam (May 24, 2014)

Bishop said:


> I had never heard of scarlet fever before I got it either, but I still got it. Similarly, tell this to people who have late stage Lyme disease. A friend of mine had no idea what Lyme disease was, no idea that it came from ticks. And when he got a tick that he didn't notice for a day or two, he didn't know what Lyme disease was going to do to his system for the next 4 years. It went un-diagnosed for a very long time before he learned what Lyme disease was. And if I pickup and play with a stray dog with ringworm, guess what I'm going to get whether I know what it is or not? The same can be true of purely mental disorders. Sure, ADD is over-diagnosed these days, but it existed before it was studied. And before people knew what schizophrenia was their solutions for it included exorcisms.
> 
> But those aren't book issues. Those are medical issues. "Middle of the book duldrums" is a phrase that assigns a name to the feeling of uncertainty and a lack of creativity that results from creative fatigue after having worked on something for an extended period of time. Whether you call it "middle of the book duldrums" or "can't create-itosis" or "you suck go home-itis" it still occurs in people. Yes, there may be solutions for it that include tricking the mind, but those solutions don't work on everyone in the same way that giving penicillin to certain people with syphilis is the very wrong answer.
> 
> ...



I'm done stating my point, but what _you_ have done above is a _reductio ad absurdum. _It's the logical fallacy of taking one's argument and exaggerating it to ridiculous degrees to make it appear asinine. 

I never mentioned lupus, syphilis, or curing someone of a disease by telling them they didn't have it. If you check the diagnostic and statistic manual of mental disorders, you won't find writer's block in there. In fact, if you check the statistic manual of diseases, you won't find it in there either, so comparing what I said about conversion disorder to someone telling a person with lupus, a verified and veritable condition, that they should stop having it is engaging in _reductio ad absurdum._


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## Bishop (May 24, 2014)

Sam said:


> I'm done stating my point, but what _you_ have done above is a _reductio ad absurdum. _It's the logical fallacy of taking one's argument and exaggerating it to ridiculous degrees to make it appear asinine.
> 
> I never mentioned lupus, syphilis, or curing someone of a disease by telling them they didn't have it. If you check the diagnostic and statistic manual of mental disorders, you won't find writer's block in there. In fact, if you check the statistic manual of diseases, you won't find it in there either, so comparing what I said about conversion disorder to someone telling a person with lupus, a verified and veritable condition, that they should stop having it is engaging in _reductio ad absurdum._



No, but you did bring up ringworm and the flu. No, there's no mental disorder manual that includes writer's block, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist... it's just not a life threatening or debilitating disorder. People experience it, and not just by suggestion. So the point of this thread then, was to help Bowman get past his issue, no matter the source. Your solution was that he was procrastinating, you offered reasons WHY people procrastinate, and then you told him to stop procrastinating. Sure, writer's block is not life threatening like lupus, but your solution was the same as saying "try not having lupus." Or really, you said would he pay any thought to it if he hadn't heard of it... so it's more like saying would you really have lupus if someone hadn't told you what lupus was. He can't help that he has writers block, but we can help him get past it.


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## Jeko (May 24, 2014)

> He's not procrastinating. He's literally unable to think of what happens next in his book. He wants to write. But he can't.



Impossible. He 1) said he knows where they're going in the novel and 2) is a writer. A writer can write, and if a writer _wants _to write there should be nothing to stop him. The problem is, a lot of writers want to have a lot of the things that writing gets you - but the process of writing itself is not something they're overly fond of. Making it into a 'problem' that needs a 'solution' is more attractive than getting on with the whole pen-to-paper thing (or finger-to-keyboard if you're fancy).

Writer's block does not exist. The process of writing a novel at no point involves overcoming the obstacle of some mythical force whose aim is to prevent you from being creative. You _are _creative, period. Sure, you can write yourself into corners, into dead ends, but you can write yourself out of them too. Finding it hard is a good thing; it means you're pushing yourself further as a writer. Hence, you're trying to make the story as good as it can be.

It's the placebo effect, to continue the medical mumbo-jumbo, and it doesn't help you write a novel. What helps you write a novel is (surprisingly) writing it, even when the going gets tough.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 24, 2014)

Cadence said:


> Impossible. He 1) said he knows where they're going in the novel and 2) is a writer. A writer can write, and if a writer _wants _to write there should be nothing to stop him. The problem is, a lot of writers want to have a lot of the things that writing gets you - but the process of writing itself is not something they're overly fond of. Making it into a 'problem' that needs a 'solution' is more attractive than getting on with the whole pen-to-paper thing (or finger-to-keyboard if you're fancy).



I love writing Cadence. That's why I went back to it 20+ years after having stopped. I enjoy the process.



> Writer's block does not exist. The process of writing a novel at no point involves overcoming the obstacle of some mythical force whose aim is to prevent you from being creative. You _are _creative, period. Sure, you can write yourself into corners, into dead ends, but you can write yourself out of them too. Finding it hard is a good thing; it means you're pushing yourself further as a writer. Hence, you're trying to make the story as good as it can be.



If you'll notice, I never used the term "writer's block." 



> It's the placebo effect, to continue the medical mumbo-jumbo, and it doesn't help you write a novel. What helps you write a novel is (surprisingly) writing it, even when the going gets tough.



Which is what I continued to do.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 24, 2014)

I have to ask a question here.

Why is it that it seems like some are saying there is something wrong with being a little bit stuck and talking about it.

I mentioned being stuck on a certain scene, and all of a sudden I have some kind of psychological issues or I'm just being lazy or whatever. I was stuck. Plain and simple. I didn't have writer's block because I hate that term. I didn't have it because I still had ideas and still was writing them down in the novel...I just didn't have GOOD ones. Nothing felt right. 

Seriously, guys, all I was looking for is what I am _always_ looking for. Ways to make my story better. 

As I said before, I took a couple of things from the conversations here and figured out a way to make things move forward in a way that does feel right. That was all I really needed.

I do appreciate everyone's help.


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## Bishop (May 24, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> Why is it that it seems like some are saying there is something wrong with being a little bit stuck and talking about it.



It just spurred the debate as to whether or not this is an actual issue.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 25, 2014)

Bishop said:


> It just spurred the debate as to whether or not this is an actual issue.



True enough. 

But what I meant was that it was presented like I had some sort of mental illness because I was stuck. LOL

I think this situation, and the resulting discussion (since debating is against da rules) is sort of like the reaction when people who plan/outline their scenes ahead of time, can't quite fathom how a pantser just sort of goes with the flow. 

@Sam...I take it you don't have many times when you just can't figure out how to proceed with a certain character or scene? 

If that's the case, bravo. I wish I could do what you do.


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## Sam (May 25, 2014)

I don't mean to belittle your situation, TS. I'm sure this is a veritable problem for you and that you can't see a way forward without soliciting the help of others. I understand that, but no matter what advice anyone gives you here, in this thread or in any other similar one, the reality is that at some point you will have to find a way to push through yourself. We can give you all the platitudes and advice possible, and it might make you feel better to know that someone else is going through what you are, but it will only make you feel better until you come up against this problem (or another similar one) the next time. Then, you might start a thread and say that you're back at square one with the next novel. We'll go through all this again and, once more, it will culminate with you having to sit down at the keyboard to figure out what you're going to write next. So my point is this. It doesn't matter what I or anyone else say; at the end of the day, you're the one who has to put the words on the page and figure out how to finish the story. 

Writing has never been a chore for me. I've never sat at a keyboard and assumed the persona of a tortured writer agonising over every word. When you take the fun out of writing, and become fearful because every line has to be perfect, you open yourself up to all kinds of maladies. Writing is a joy for me. I can't wait to open my current manuscript every day. A wise man once said to me, "If you don't have expectations, you'll never be disappointed". I don't expect my novels to be perfect (none ever are) and that in itself is liberating. That doesn't I mean I don't care about my craft. I do, more than you could imagine, but I also know there's always room for improvement. Are there times when I don't want to write? Of course, but not because I'm stuck. If I sit down to write and feel bad about it, there's usually something unrelated to writing nagging at me. The dishes aren't clean, the dog isn't fed, the gate isn't closed, the bin isn't out for collection. Once those are taken care of, I'm good to go.


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## Kyle R (May 25, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:
			
		

> I took a couple of things from the conversations here and figured out a way to make things move forward in a way that does feel right. That was all I really needed.



Often it's good to ask other writers for ideas. That's what a community is for, and it's what a lot of the professionals do as well. Sometimes you need a fresh pair of eyes (or several!) to help you turn on that light bulb, or to find that missing puzzle piece.

I think the whole "Write with the door closed" maxim (Stephen King's recommendation) is a relative one, and not applicable for everyone. Creative writing doesn't have to be a lonely venture. For some, writing with the door open yields better results.

:encouragement:


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## Scribe101 (May 25, 2014)

My suggestion is:

Take a break from the project. Go read some novels, examine them,
see how the author's did it - did they succeed or fail? Why? 

Put the project out of your mind. Take a notepad. Go walking
round town. Listen to speech patterns. Observe behaviour. 

After a month or so (or even longer) return to the project
with a fresh perspective. 

Hope this helps.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 25, 2014)

Scribe101 said:


> My suggestion is:
> 
> Take a break from the project. Go read some novels, examine them,
> see how the author's did it - did they succeed or fail? Why?
> ...



This suggestion is a pretty good idea.

However, one of the things that gave me a very rough time is a long hiatus I took from the novel.  It took me quite a while to get back into the flow of the story.

Stepping away again is the last thing I want to do.


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## Morkonan (May 26, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> This suggestion is a pretty good idea.
> 
> However, one of the things that gave me a very rough time is a long hiatus I took from the novel.  It took me quite a while to get back into the flow of the story.
> 
> Stepping away again is the last thing I want to do.



Passion fuels anxiety.

Whenever some little kink comes up with something we're passionate about, anxiety mounts. It doesn't matter how inane the focus is, we'll get bent out of shape about it. Go to a comic convention and watch people in costumes beat each other up over who has the most "authentic" look. Superman vs Batman, Pirates and Ninjas, cake and pie.. (PIE FOREVAR! ..and pirates!)

So, you're a Writer and are passionate about writing. You've run into a snag. Now, it's a "major deal" and it's bothering you. That's to be expected - You're passionate and dedicated, it's expected for you to worry about some sort of "performance problem." 

Don't worry so much. Don't beat yourself up other whether or not your HeMan costume is going to turn out right. Anxiety is a evolutionarily reinforced physiological response to a perceived threat. Note that the operative word is "perceived", here. Some writers say that they "never" have problems. Sure, I guess I could understand that. I never have problems with certain things, too. But, then again, some great works are known to have been tortuous enterprises for their creators. Whether or not you encounter an issue while creating a work is not a measure of its likely quality. So, all those writers that say they "never" have any issues writing anything? Maybe they have lower standards? (Not saying that they do, just pointing out that it's easy to do poor work.)

Your brain and body are going to demand that you respond to your anxiety. It's evolution, you can't do anything about it. But, you can work to reduce your anxiety levels. In something like this, which is basically a form of performance anxiety, you have to experience yourself successfully engaging in the activity you're worried about. It's the "get back on the horse" sort of thing. I'd combine that with a technique similar to overcoming test anxiety, which is simply involved with preparation.

Go to a bookstore. Get a cheap book of writer's prompts. Don't use the Internet. The idea is for you to formalize the beginning of the process by actively engaging with it, not just visiting some web site. Plus, it'd do you some good to get out.  Get a cup of coffee, while you're at it. Unless caffeine tends to send you over the edge... Then, just get a danish. Relax, read a magazine, hold on to your book of writing prompts. On your way home, go to the grocery store. Get a treat for yourself, something that's not too bad for you.... (I dunno what sort of treat that'd be, but I can't advocate bad health!) Go home.

Relax, have a treat! You did good! You successfully engaged the beginning of this process by actively participating in a process that will help you overcome your problem. You started working proactively towards a solution. Note that to yourself. Seriously, you need to do that. People often only look to the results of such activities, mistaking the results as being the purpose. That's not what they're about at all. First you have to see yourself as being proactive and positive. Going to the gym three times a week is a positive thing for those who need the exercise. But, what do they do? They don't think about that and, instead, look at the results on their scale at home... 

After you've done all this, take a break and wait until the next day to start. When convenient, sit down at your writing spot and open up the book of writing prompts. Read the intro, get comfortable. Often, there's going to be some sort of inspirational thing in there, somewhere, so acknowledge the writer's attempt to cheer you up.  Grab your writing instrument, turn the page, and tackle the first writing prompt that you come across. It doesn't matter what it is, what matters is that you approach it correctly. If you feel that it's all just hopeless, then here's what you do - Write badly. In fact, wallow in terrible, even intellectually offensive prose... If you're worried about not writing a masterpiece, then focus on writing crap! I'm serious about this - It doesn't matter what you produce, only that you produce. Write one sentence, then the next, then the next. If you can't tackle whole sentences, write one word, then the next, then the next.

Once you've done a good bit of the first writing exercise, take a break for the day. I don't care if you didn't finish it. The point is that you have experienced yourself being proactive and have experienced yourself engaging in the activity. It doesn't matter if you produce crap or can't write a grammatically correct sentence - What matters is that you are moving forward, no matter what direction that actually is!

Give yourself a treat and, tomorrow, pick up where you left off. Approach it the same way, read the author's little quips and encouragements, focus on writing, good or bad, and if you encounter a block, then do your absolute best to write as terribly as possible... Enjoy that release, revel in it. Once you've successfully engaged in the process in something unrelated to your current work, you'll be better prepared to delve back into your work to solve whatever problems you're encountering. This will work.


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## Jeko (May 27, 2014)

> If you'll notice, I never used the term "writer's block."



Sorry, Bowman; my post was in response to Bishop. Your example, of successfully overcoming a hiccup in your WIP, sparked off a discussion about those writers who claim to have 'writer's block' and don't write because they think they have an illness that they need to cure.


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## Terry D (May 27, 2014)

If you truly want to write and are just stuck for a way to advance the plot use the technique suggested by the mystery writer, Raymond Chandler-- "When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand." Pull a situation (one relating to your story world) out of the air which simply *demands* resolution and then follow it. Soon you'll be writing like mad and can leave in the Chandler moment, or write it out in favor of something else.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 27, 2014)

That suggestion, as well, is a good one. 

My main issue was that I was just having a hell of a time even coming up with that kind of thing. Like I said, it wasn't something that I considered impossible to get around. I just had to use my own way of getting around it.


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## Tyler Danann (May 30, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> So, it seems that I have gotten to the middle (or at least the general area) of my WIP. I am 80k words in and things had been flowing REALLY well...up until recently.
> 
> I just can't figure out a good way to transition from a slightly slower period of the book (not much slower, though) to the start of the build up toward the climax.
> 
> ...



Well it doesn't sound like you've hit the dreaded writers block at least.

Transitioning can be tricky, but with good chapter breaks and scene shifts I didn't have too much of an issue with this.  Mind you I did have to play at shuffling my chapters about to get the 'flow' of things going well.


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## T.S.Bowman (May 31, 2014)

Nah...I don't really get writer's block. I don't really care for that term anyway.

I just run into the occasional hurdle that's only about shin high. It takes a little effort to get over it, but nothing major.


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