WRITE YOUR NOVEL: Tips from a NYT Bestseller

Lesson 10: Block Busting

Lesson Ten: Block Busting


Writers like to separate themselves into two groups: plotters and pantsers.

Plotters spend a lot of their writing time in preparation—character studies, backstory, research, outlines. This is their way to gear up for action.

They love those index cards with five colors of highlighter ink on them! They know exactly where they're going before they start out to write each scene. Their reward is they often only need one or two drafts to complete a novel.

If you're looking for a great resource on using these plotting tools in revisions, check out Lisa Gardner's website. She's a meticulous plotter and shares all her tricks there. http://www.lisagardner.com


Pantsers might take the same amount of time to complete a novel, but are more prone to simply jump in with a mere glimmer of idea and character, discovering the rest along the way. It's a leap of faith, but also a way to stay excited and in the moment.

 After all, if you have no idea what's going to happen next, how can the reader? This lends a tone of freshness and anticipation to their work that hopefully will remain intact even after revisions.

And pantsers often have to do a lot of revisions. They might even write out of order, having a great idea for a scene but not certain where it will actually fall in the novel.

Plotters can also write out of order—because they can pick and chose among the scenes they know they need from their outline.

So with all these possibilities at hand, why do any of us (plotters and pantsers alike) suffer from that dreaded writers' block? Where do we go wrong? How to prevent it? How to treat it?

First of all, if your brain is shutting down the creative flow, be aware there's probably a very good reason for it. Pay attention to that nudge the muse is giving you, or suffer the consequences.


Here's a scientifically proven method used by elite athletes and performers suffering from performance anxiety that I've adapted for writing. I call it the 4-R method:


Step one RESIST:

First, don't disregard the spinning your wheels and banging your head against the wall phase, as painful as it may be. By struggling with a problem, working it through, engaging all your focus, energy and attention on it, you release the hormones (norepinephrine in particular) that get your brain ready to solve the problem.

You have to be fully engaged here—really, really, trying, not just marking time until your next coffee or email break. Stay actively engaged in your work. If the scene isn't flowing, try doing some research or a character sketch. Maybe write a snippet of dialogue.

So, first step: Resist.

This is the Apply Butt to Chair part of the equation. And sometimes that's all it takes. Once you get going, the words just fly.


But if they don't, go to step two: RELAX.

Take a break. Indulge in some physical activity. Take care of yourself and those around you.

A little creative volunteer work (reading to kids or the elderly, etc) can do wonders to free up the imagination. By giving back, you often expose yourself to new people, new opportunities that might break you out of your normal routine. And release endorphins (more good brain hormones!)

Repetitive activity such as running, walking, sports, repeating a word or phrase (mantra), meditating on rhythmic breathing, even drumming, can also release endorphins.

Break out of your normal routine. Leave your work area and go take a shower or soak in a warm tub. Meditate or take a nap in another room. Go to an art gallery; indulge your other senses. Let your mind wander in new directions.

Whatever you do, try to fully engage in it. Don't try to think about your writing problem. If you're listening to music, give yourself over to it—wave your arms like you're conducting an orchestra or sing along.

If you're taking a walk or exercising, concentrate solely on the exercise—watching TV while riding an exercise bike is great, but it's not the kind of relaxation we're talking about here. But running and listening intensely to music would be because the two activities reinforce the repetition that allows your brain to re-boot.

Pick one activity and pour all your focus and energy into it. Eliminate any other distractions.

Put a time limit on this phase. Fifteen or thirty minutes is fine. You want to get back to your work while those endorphins are still flowing.

(Note: studies have shown that volunteer work creates endorphins that flow for a prolonged period of time, days even, so no need to put limits on that!)

When you see someone like Venus Williams absently bouncing her tennis ball before a crucial serve, she's using a quick Relax phase to get her into her "zone" and prepare her for the next step: Release.


Step 3: RELEASE. Return to work. Usually, if those endorphins are flowing, you'll feel a sense of total release, as if you simply don't care any more. The problem will be solved or not, it's out of your hands. You're simply going to relax, give it one last try, and do the best you can.

This is that all-powerful zone that athletes talk about — that feeling of freedom, effortlessness, where you aren't sure if it's really you hitting that home run or the universe letting it happen. Everything seems in synch, like it was meant to be.

Begin to work. Try to simply free-write, no conscious direction or planning. Tell yourself you're just going to write 100, 200 words, you don't care what they are, even if they're nonsense.

You can even type with your eyes closed (if you're accurate enough to read it afterwards!) or turn the monitor off. You don't care. You promised yourself you'd get some work done and so you'll keep that promise, but you really don't care what you write.

Surprisingly, all those good hormones will often take your brain in a direction that solves problems you didn't even know you had—or send you in a new direction that's better than the old one.

You might find yourself writing something that doesn't seem to apply to your current work. A poem or piece of flash fiction or a blog post. Don't fight it, go with it. Many times you'll be surprised and the piece will turn out to be something you needed to write, even if it has nothing to do with the work you've been struggling with.

Don't get too distracted or sidelined. Put a time limit on this step, fifteen minutes or so. Again, you want to associate those good feelings, that sense of pride and accomplishment with writing (writing anything!).


Then go to step four: RECONNECT.

Reconnect with your WIP. Immerse yourself in it, using those endorphins to help you focus. Often you'll discover where you went wrong—and it won't seem like a catastrophe but rather an opportunity because now you suddenly know exactly how to fix it.

Don't limit this step. Write as long as you like, let the ideas pour out, don't try to edit or constrain them as long as they have to do with your work in progress. Stay focused. Fully engage with the world of your story.

Many times, you'll look up, feeling exhausted, and notice you've been writing almost effortlessly for hours.


Remember this good feeling! Use it the next time you hit a stumbling block to remind yourself that you have overcome obstacles and that you can do it again!

Sometimes just that memory will be enough to propel you forward, a shortcut bypassing the block entirely.


This 4-R block-busting method involves: Resist, Relax, Release, and Reconnect. Repeat as necessary.

(Note: if you're interested in reading more of the science behind this method take a look at: The Breakout Principle: How to Activate the Natural Trigger That Maximizes Creativity, Athletic Performance, Productivity, and Personal Well-Being by Herbert Benson and William Proctor)


From my own experience, a block occurs when I've strayed from my idea, theme, or characters. OR when I've lost my passion for the story and it's become drudgery. 

When my vision becomes blurred, my passion wanes, or I lose my commitment to the story (yes, those three secrets again!)

I use those three secrets when I'm struggling with a scene or a section or even a sentence. I ask myself: why am I writing this? What's my vision for this scene? What do I need to commit to make it happen?


Passion = Motivation, why I'm driven to write this scene. Often tied to my theme, to finding the emotional heart and soul of any scene—which comes from what has come before in the story, what has built to this scene, and why it's necessary. Also, why the characters in the scene are there—there had better be a good reason if you don't want your scene to feel contrived.

Vision = Goal, what I want to accomplish in this scene. Not just plot advancement, but also character development, reinforcing the subliminal thread of theme, laying groundwork for future scenes and turning points, revelations, etc. And in every scene, every character should have a goal they want to accomplish, even if it's just to get a drink of water.

Commitment = Conflict, the get 'er done part of writing—which is 90% of the job, here and now, apply butt to chair, and just write. Also looking at what obstacles the characters must overcome in order to succeed or fail during a scene, the how they're going to get to their goals.

Why, What, How….Passion, Vision, Commitment….
Motivation, Goal, Conflict….Past, Future, Present

When I'm stuck, the first thing I do is ask myself those three questions. Then I go back to the basics, re-read what I have so far (not editing, reading!) and try to zoom in on each scene's emotional core.

Should it be from another character's point of view? Are the characters well motivated? Is there conflict on every page? Does the emotional content resonate with your theme and further character development and the plot?

Many times I'll find the problem about 10-15 pages back from where the actual block occurs—my own momentum carries me that far before I flounder.

Quite often I have to cut extraneous scenes, even those that have sparkling dialogue or evocative, lyrical description because they serve no purpose. Yeah, they were fun to write, but so what if they're not taking the reader where I want her to go?

I never throw away these gems, rather I save them in a special file on my computer. And sometimes I actually do find a place for them elsewhere—so nothing is ever wasted.

Remember, your best scenes are those that reveal character through action and dialogue while moving the plot forward. This will compel the reader to read on while also increasing their identification with the characters as they watch them overcome one conflict after another.


WHAT to do if you're really stuck, can't figure out where you went wrong?

First, stop spinning your wheels in frustration. Take a break, indulge in some physical activity, take care of yourself and those around you.

Clean the house, pay the bills. Not as an excuse not to write, but rather so that writing now becomes your reward for a job well done.

OR do the opposite. This works for me almost every time. Take a self-imposed writing vacation. 

Don't even think about your books. Not even dream about them. Forget it. This is your vacation and you're making the most of it.

Every time I've done this I haven't been able to last more than forty-eight hours before being compelled to pick up pen and paper. I told you it was an addiction!

Still stuck? Here's where taking a page from the opposite camp might help. In fact, this is one of the ways Leonardo da Vinci brainstormed and kept his work vibrant and fresh.

As someone who was very comfortable using both his right and left brain, he often would take a break from a very "right brained" project (such as painting) and indulge in something "left brained" (like his mechanical plans or mathematics) instead.

For instance, plotters might want to exercise that right brain of theirs by:
—Trying "free writing" or brainstorming exercises
—Drawing or creating a collage
—Doing a tarot reading or horoscope on your characters
—Keeping a dream journal
—Meeting with writer friends and setting a group challenge of finding twenty ideas for what could happen next and then use the twenty-first.

In other words, do the opposite of what you're used to doing. Don't retreat to the security of your well-worn research or outline. Break free, let your imagination roam wild.

Pantsers, you guessed it—go for the left brain life of a plotter by:
—Outlining and analyzing the scenes you do have done.
—Looking at whether you have enough motivation?
—Questioning whether the pace lags?
—Looking at whether a subplot overtakes the main plot?
—Analyzing everything, charting it out, using those colored highlighters and going to town!
—Engaging in research, delving into the culture or historical period you're writing in.
—Starting to list scenes that would logically evolve from what you already have—you don't have to write them, but it's nice to know that you have a starting point.
—Writing your character's backstories, interviewing them, discovering their greatest fears—are you challenging them in the story or do you need to refocus?
—If an outline terrifies you too much, work on a synopsis or the back cover blurb.

Do anything that sharpens your awareness, helps you to focus you back onto the main idea.


For both groups: ask yourself what your own greatest fear is and how this part of the story triggers it.

Often we build our greatest defenses around our greatest insecurities and these blind spots may become apparent in our writing. Hey, we're delving into the human heart here, of course there are going to be rough patches, places where we as artists reveal our vulnerabilities to our readers.

Guess what? That's usually what separates a good book from a great one!

As August Wilson said: Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.


Still stuck after all that?

SKIP it. Jump right into next scene with a transition sentence such as: And then, the next day...

Give yourself permission for one bad, clunker sentence and KEEP on writing after that. Often in the end, you will find what you thought you needed in that scene was effortlessly incorporated later on and it works better. Fixing one sentence is a lot easier than fixing an entire scene.

This is also a good time to read writing craft books and novels by writers whom you admire and who inspire you.

See what worked for others. Be inspired. Regain the confidence that it's okay to torture your characters, to send them to hell as long as you have a plan to get them back.

And then, of course, sit yourself down and start writing. Because that's what writers do. We write.
 




TEACHING POINT: Know your audience.


Who are you writing for?

This is the last question most writers ask themselves but often the first that publishers, editors, and agents will ask a writer.

Who is your audience? What about your book will hook them? How are you targeting them? What do you as an author bring to the table to help market and promote your work?

Here's where all you not interested in writing as a profession can rest easy. But for anyone who wants to make a career out of writing, these questions are vital before you consider your work finished and try to sell it.


Who would the market for our example novel be?

Start with the blurb. The short, one paragraph hook that appears on the front or back cover of a book. That eye-grabber that makes you agree to plunk down your hard-earned cash and take a chance that what's between the covers is what the author promised on the outside cover.

The blurb is a promise. A contract, if you will, between reader and author that the book will deliver.

Many writers think the blurb comes from the publishing house's copyeditors—and many writers allow this to happen, often disappointed when their fan base begins to dissolve, disenchanted when they find the "action-packed thriller" advertised on the front cover is actually a quiet, coming of age story.

If you want to attract readers who keep coming back, take charge of your own blurbs and keep the promise implied in them.


There are more reasons why you want to write your own blurbs. The blurb is an exceptionally powerful tool.

Remember how we used the central story idea as the answer to the question: What's the book about? The blurb takes that one step farther.

Start with the one sentence central story idea, embellish it with a brief, punchy description of theme and the main character's motivation, goal and conflicts to be faced during the story. Twist it to end with a question or statement that will keep the reader asking for more—and forced to buy the book to get what they want.

Here are some examples.


We discussed my romantic thriller, BORROWED TIME. Its blurb is:

Pittsburgh in November, a perfect time for murder. Officer KATHERINE O'HERN struggles to stop a killer stalking police officers. The only problem: he's already killed her.
Trauma surgeon JOSH LIGHTNER saved Kate's life once. When the killer targets them both, are they living on BORROWED TIME?

And my Berkley medical suspense, LIFELINES:

July first, the most dangerous day of the year.
A veteran of the mean streets of LA, Dr. Lydia Fiore is certain she can handle anything Pittsburgh's Angels of Mercy ER has to throw at her. Of course that's before she kills the Chief of Surgery's son during her first shift and finds herself suddenly fighting for her career and her freedom.
Her investigation into the real cause of her patient's death embroils her in a race riot and places her in a killer's sights. Now she must fight to not only save herself but the lives of everyone in her hospital.

Notice how these short blurbs also tie into MY own passions about changing the world and ordinary people becoming heroes.

And from an audience point of view, you know exactly what kind of book you're getting. There's an emotional promise made (of course, it's up to the writer to keep it!)


Let's look at our example. Our original central idea was: A blind girl from Sulawesi learns to fly.

Brief, to the point. Already has a hook imbedded in it: overcoming great odds to achieve goal, and it involves a kid, another emotional hook.

Take it one step farther and expand it into a paragraph:

In FLYING BLIND, a fourteen-year-old blind girl raised to be subservient to the men in her traditional Sulawesi family must break free of her father's control and make her own way in the sighted world in order to achieve her dream of learning to fly. When her quest for independence places her father's honor and her mother's life at risk, will she sacrifice her dreams in order to save her parents?


The more you know about your story and what conflicts your main character will face, the easier this becomes. By implying both the main external and internal conflicts, the reader is immediately intrigued without even opening the book.

What to use the powerful blurb for? We already discussed pitches. You can also use it in any promotional materials, business cards, websites, etc.

How about in your query letter? What better way to grab an agent's or editor's eye than to have a polished blurb right there in their first contact with you?

And that dreaded synopsis? Start with the blurb as your first paragraph—then the rest becomes easy because you've already identified the main thrust of the story and character development, all you have to do is flesh it out.

Once you sell, your editor will use the blurb as the center of their marketing proposal. And finally, as your back cover copy.
 
 
Now that you have your blurb, you know your audience.

Look at our example blurb. "A fourteen year old blind girl"—unless you've chosen highly explicit material, you've already targeted most women and a lot of young adult readers, especially the girls.

"Traditional Sulawesi family...break free of father's control...learn to fly"—what audiences have we identified with here? How about religious groups? People of Indonesian origin? Young adults interested in breaking free of their parents (which adds to the above group because it will probably add some boys to the mix) and people interested in learning to fly (more males—but you'd better deliver on the expectation of including something about aviation instruction. If not, make that clear somehow in the blurb so as to not break your promise to the reader.)

Now we've got a target audience identified and some of those groups immediately bring to mind marketing opportunities.

When I said people interested in aviation, didn't you immediately visualize feature articles in Aviation Today, links on your website to aviation groups, an interview in Young Flyer, a book signing event at the Future Pilots of America, etc?

You didn't? You'd better start—because 80% or more of marketing in today's publishing climate is done by the writer.

That's right. The dirty secret no one tells us when we start this career. 

You can't help but write. It's an addiction, a compulsion, an obsession—but in order to make a living at it, you need to learn an additional career in marketing. And you thought the hard part was the blood, sweat and tears you spilled onto the page!

Knowing your audience is the keep to commercial success as a writer. Know what they want, how to deliver, and you will keep them coming back for more!

As always, have fun with it!