Writer's Block

It's the worse feeling in the world. The voices in your head are still and quiet. You sit and stare at a blank page, not knowing how to begin, where to go. Or worse, you have three lines on the page and can go absolutely no farther. And in the back of your mind you ask yourself what if I can never write again? What if I'm a fraud? Writer's block can be the scariest thing in the world for a writer. At the height of creativity you believe it'll never happen to you. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.

WHen it me hit this past month, it was unexpected and I was unprepared for it. I sat there staring at my screen. It read "Chapter 4" and

Loden glanced at Wolf and Ash.

Hurry Felan! Our help is needed.

Where to?

Loden scanned the ground, and saw a flash of orange-red flame and red scales hidden beneath the green of the trees. “There!” He shouted, pointing.

“Doesn’t sound good Loden!” Ash called out.

“Not in the slightest.

And there I sat. Staring. Music didn't help. Changing the music didn't help. Movies didn't help. School didn't help. I couldn't work on a different project. I couldn't do anything. Then I took out my wipe board from behind the door where it was buried. Cleaned it off and asked myself a loaded question.

"What needs to happen in this chapter?"

My thought process went something like this... (this was written out on the board somewhat randomly and then connected with arrows)

Caelan's (heroine) POV NOT Loden (Hero)

Trap
- elf
- dragon
- "Stupid Riders"

Loden doesn't believe Caelan is the one he seeks

Loden/Ash/Wolf good arial fighters suck on the ground

Wolf is gravely injured
- Caelan saves him
- Wolf to Loden "It is mortal brother"
- Caelan "Bloody fool."

With that I could start writing again. Those few notes, the most important of which was realizing whose point of view (POV) I was telling the story from, got me through the first 10 pages of chapter 4.

So when I got stuck again, I turned to my wipe board, erased everything and started again. Starting from where I left off and where I needed to be.

It went something like this:

Healing pools (at one end) and Loden and Caelan alone (at the other end) and then filled in between.

Caelan recovers

Loden/Caelan introductions

Deathmark discussion

She refuses to remove it, thinks he's elitist, arrogant, egotistical "Loden, a skilled fighter doesn't equal good blood or a heart"

She needs to go to the Eastern Oracle

Battle at 'Trollic' Bridge


Loden doesn't want to leave with the mark on, not safe without Ash/Wolf. Loden doesn't think he deserves the mark, thinks she stubborn

Ash/Wolf go home - needed there

Romantic BBM -- She removes the mark and leaves

Liam wants redemption "Am I not redeemable?"

Will this help me move on... possibly. It may take another round on the wipe board for some transitions, but a good movie and music or a bubble bath and a good book might work too.