We all know that feeling of being ‘stuck.’ Maybe, we have written ourselves into a corner. We don’t know what should come next. What we do know is that our writing project has come to a complete standstill.
There are a few things a writer can do and I am listing my favorite possibilities.
- Pull out your character files and go through their backstories.
- Abandon the story and blow the dust off a previous WIP.
- Sit your characters down, one at a time, and ask them what they think is happening.
The Interview often unlocks a story. Just the simple ‘what’s up?’ is enough to get things started again. You may discover your ‘helper’ character is clueless about your ‘main’ character’s motives. Your ‘antagonist’ may be blissfully unaware of the ‘protagonist’s’ intentions.
Leave a comment or question you’d like to ask of your own characters or tell us what you do when you are stuck.
One response to “Interviewing Characters”
I have some specific techniques for interviewing characters that I used with drama students before using them with the characters I’m writing. If you’d like a copy of them, please go to http://www.writeradvice.com and click on the Contact button so you can send me an e-mail. Remind me of what you want, and I’ll be delighted to send it to you.
Thanks and happy writing!