It was bound to happen sooner or later. After some consecutive days of working on my novel-in-progress, something got stuck in the gears and I found myself at a creative impasse, not knowing what to write next.
Sometimes when this happens, I turn to reading. I might read literature for enjoyment or inspiration, for a reminder of what I am trying to accomplish. Or I might read about the craft of writing, where I sometimes find ideas or tools to propel me forward again.
Today, I was reading Deepening Fiction: A Practical Guide for Intermediate and Advanced Writers, by Sarah Stone and Ron Nyren, and I found this about writers discovering their true material during the revision process:
"The hot spots--the areas where the story comes alive and is full of energy and interest--are likely to be those that fascinate us, that scare us, or that we don't want to explore. They may show characters behaving strangely or badly, trying to behave well and failing, or succeeding at something in a way that costs them or those around them more than it should."
Hmmm. I wonder if sometimes a writer's impasse when constructing a story is connected to hot spots. Perhaps we become stuck when we are nearing a plot point or characterization that moves us where we're afraid to go. Or, conversely, if an impasse means we are moving away from our story's true north, and our apparent writer's block is actually our muse whispering, "You're getting colder..."
So I've decided to go back to my novel-in-progress and look for signs of life in what's already on the page. In the meantime, as I figure out my next steps, I'd love to hear from my writer-readers about how you've understood and gotten over impasses in your own writing, as well as whether or not the "hot spots" concept resonates with you.
Thoughts?
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