Stuck on my plot. Behind on my word count. Doing this year's novel as a Pantster, I'm having a hard time. All of a sudden got an idea, and may I say a good idea, for next year's novel. It won't be in my mystery series. Can't stop thinking about it. Send me a cyber kick in the pants because I've never finished 50,000 words and really want to this year. Carol
I say go with your new idea. Several years I have worked on two separate story ideas during Nano. I try to finish my story (novel) but the official goal of Nano is to write 50k words. One full novel, or two partial novels, both work.
I too am a panster. I find that by continuing to write I can work through the block. When I can't move my novel forward, I find my inner author works through the blockage when I write something totally different.
I agree with Dave, but then I'm a NaNo rebel. This year I'm starting 30 stories in 30 days. If you feel too guilty about starting the new novel, you might try pretending that it's a dream one of your characters is having.
The good thing about pantsing is discovering the joy of unfettered creativity. Go for it.
When I was stuck on my novel, what helped me was asking a lot of "what if"s about the story. The more random, the better! Of course the random ideas didn't work with my novel, but it got me thinking outside of the box. So maybe that would help!
But I also think it wouldn't hurt to let yourself think about the other idea for a little bit. When you go back to the novel you're trying to work on now, you'll be able to look at it with fresh eyes. At least in my case, if I try too hard to think about something, I can never come up with a solution until I let myself walk away from it for a little bit.
Write the outline for your novel idea next year as an idea that one of your character's has, or as a book that zee (she/he) is reading. Write the novel as a set of scenes, some small, some large, but try to get through the novel in this abbreviated form--that could easily take 25,000 words, and you could get to 'the end' with a good base for next year's novel. And you can write complete scenes for some of the key parts, making it up as you go along. But by tacking the whole novel, you may still have a feeling of having something 'done' by the end of November.
Just a thought. (I like to iterate over my outlines, adding more each time. If it wasn't for NaNo--I'd probably just do that 3-4 times and call that the first draft.)
Write a cross-over! What would the characters in your current story do if they were suddenly thrust into the setting of your other story, or vice-versa. I'm currently having one of those blocks and I managed to get at least some words out by having my characters hash out the merits and drawbacks of living in early 1900's Toronto.The holdout was finally convinced to go back by thecreature comforts of internet, aspirin, and daily showers. Oh, yeah, and I offer no explanation as to how they got there in the first place. It's not going to make it into any novel, it's just a writing exercise to helpget a better feel for the characters.
Go with your new idea.,,by developing new characters and an entirely new story and plot,,you may form ideas that may find their way back into your original story. But then again this can be the new start of a new novel. Put your med lab mystery series on hold if you think you are killing off the plot.;This is the 2nd in your series? I'm writing a nano novel that I hope might turn into a series... I know it has to be hard to find ideas that are not a rehash of your last nano novel. Whatever you do keep on writing.. even if it is writing about your frustration at being stuck!..it happens to us all. Good Luck!
Thanks everyone! I knew you'd help me out. Some of the things that will happen to my main character in next year's novel can happen to this year's main character. I can have give her the romantic entanglement in a shorter time frame. I can have chapters about the main character's social activitiesthat will be out of order. I can paste them into the timeline upon editing.
Stuck on my plot. Behind on my word count. Doing this year's novel as a Pantster, I'm having a hard time. All of a sudden got an idea, and may I say a good idea, for next year's novel. It won't be in my mystery series. Can't stop thinking about it. Send me a cyber kick in the pants because I've never finished 50,000 words and really want to this year. Carol
Hi,
I say go with your new idea. Several years I have worked on two separate story ideas during Nano. I try to finish my story (novel) but the official goal of Nano is to write 50k words. One full novel, or two partial novels, both work.
I too am a panster. I find that by continuing to write I can work through the block. When I can't move my novel forward, I find my inner author works through the blockage when I write something totally different.
Good luck and keep writing.
Dave
I agree with Dave, but then I'm a NaNo rebel. This year I'm starting 30 stories in 30 days. If you feel too guilty about starting the new novel, you might try pretending that it's a dream one of your characters is having.
The good thing about pantsing is discovering the joy of unfettered creativity. Go for it.
Good luck!
CB
When I was stuck on my novel, what helped me was asking a lot of "what if"s about the story. The more random, the better! Of course the random ideas didn't work with my novel, but it got me thinking outside of the box. So maybe that would help!
But I also think it wouldn't hurt to let yourself think about the other idea for a little bit. When you go back to the novel you're trying to work on now, you'll be able to look at it with fresh eyes. At least in my case, if I try too hard to think about something, I can never come up with a solution until I let myself walk away from it for a little bit.
You can do it!!
My advice --
Write the outline for your novel idea next year as an idea that one of your character's has, or as a book that zee (she/he) is reading. Write the novel as a set of scenes, some small, some large, but try to get through the novel in this abbreviated form--that could easily take 25,000 words, and you could get to 'the end' with a good base for next year's novel. And you can write complete scenes for some of the key parts, making it up as you go along. But by tacking the whole novel, you may still have a feeling of having something 'done' by the end of November.
Just a thought. (I like to iterate over my outlines, adding more each time. If it wasn't for NaNo--I'd probably just do that 3-4 times and call that the first draft.)
Write a cross-over! What would the characters in your current story do if they were suddenly thrust into the setting of your other story, or vice-versa. I'm currently having one of those blocks and I managed to get at least some words out by having my characters hash out the merits and drawbacks of living in early 1900's Toronto.The holdout was finally convinced to go back by thecreature comforts of internet, aspirin, and daily showers. Oh, yeah, and I offer no explanation as to how they got there in the first place. It's not going to make it into any novel, it's just a writing exercise to helpget a better feel for the characters.
Hi, Carol,
Go with your new idea.,,by developing new characters and an entirely new story and plot,,you may form ideas that may find their way back into your original story. But then again this can be the new start of a new novel. Put your med lab mystery series on hold if you think you are killing off the plot.;This is the 2nd in your series? I'm writing a nano novel that I hope might turn into a series... I know it has to be hard to find ideas that are not a rehash of your last nano novel. Whatever you do keep on writing.. even if it is writing about your frustration at being stuck!..it happens to us all. Good Luck!
Elaine
Thanks everyone! I knew you'd help me out. Some of the things that will happen to my main character in next year's novel can happen to this year's main character. I can have give her the romantic entanglement in a shorter time frame. I can have chapters about the main character's social activitiesthat will be out of order. I can paste them into the timeline upon editing.
Carol