I think that every writer has written at least one WIP that didn’t do what they wanted to do, but I’ll just speak for me. Sometimes my characters start doing their own things which means that the plot I had in mind goes off on its own and none of my original plan means anything anymore. Sometimes, I have side characters who shine brighter than the protagonist. Sometimes the idea that I had at 2AM when the plot first came to me doesn’t quite make sense anymore or I can’t remember it well enough to get the same vibe I had before. And then there are times when I have stepped away from a piece because I caught a case of Shiny New Idea Syndrome and I simply can’t get back in the swing of things…so what do I do?

I am not one to give prescriptive feedback, so this is not me telling you what to do! I’ll just share a few things that I have done that worked and some that worked not as well as I would have liked. The weird thing about being a writer is that a method may work for one WIP but not for the next. Writing is an ever growing calling, and as we grow as writers, finding our voice and what motivates us the most, the techniques we use will undoubtedly change. At least, that’s my opinion.
Things That Work:
Re-reading. Yeah, I know it sounds simple but it really does help. If there’s a chapter that you’re unsure of or if you’ve stepped away, try your hardest not to read your work as the writer who’s trying to determine what’s wrong. Read as though you had just picked it off the shelf, had no idea what to expect. Then when you get to that stopping point, ask what next step makes sense. And be willing to accept the fact that your 20-page outline may no longer work. It’s okay!
Free writing. And while I am a huge fan of free writing in general, I mean free writing something that is somehow related to your world. Maybe you write a scene from a new POV. Maybe you write the antagonist’s backstory or what they do in their secret lair when not planning to send the planet out of orbit. Maybe you write a long description of a particular setting. These things don’t have to make it into your WIP, but they also keep your brain keyed into that project. And who knows? You may get some new ideas!!
Having an interview with those troublesome characters. Yes, it sounds wonky. I fully accept that. But if you sit down and seriously ask your characters what they want, why they’re going off-script, it can help you get a better sense of their traits and personality. They may deserve a novel of their own, or they may just be jerks and that jerkiness has to show up on the page in some way. When we create characters, we often only consider how they add to the plot, but we consider less how they relate to each other. You want A and B to be friends in this buddy adventure, but their belief systems and communication styles are complete opposites. You’re trying to force them into being best friends when really, the most they can do is be acquaintances with a common goal.
Letting it go. I know that I can get frustrated when I can’t remember exactly how I wanted things to go when I first thought of a new idea for a short story or novel, but instead of grasping at air, trying to remember, it is always better and a more enjoyable writing process when I accept what is on the page and work from there.
Having an accountability partner. There’s nothing that will help spur on your writing like a good deadline! Seriously, I had a critique partner once and I hadn’t written anything that month to show to her. Our swap was in two days. I pulled out 10,000 words! Of course, not all in the same chapter, but I had never written that much in 2 days before!
Kind of based off what I just said, writing out of order. Some will say that you have to write in order but I disagree. Write the scenes that come clearest to you. And then you can fill in later. It’s good to write them while they’re fresh in your mind because not only do you enjoy the writing more, it feels more realistic, helping the reader to truly be immersed in what you are saying. Don’t be afraid to write chapter 10 before chapter 9 or even chapter 4. Write it as it makes sense to you.
Let me know if these make sense to you!

Things That Worked Less:
Trying to determine or focus on story structure, according to western structures. This has never worked for me. Of course, I love a good reverse outline, but trying to keep my story in a structure has always felt bland and boring, especially western ones. I find myself more drawn to cyclical stories, stories that have a call and response (krik-krak), stories that may just end with no “resolution.”
Writing a detailed outline. I am not a discovery writer (or more commonly a pantser), nor am I a detailed outliner (planner). I am somewhere in the middle (a plantser, if you will). If I try to write a detailed outline, and I have (I wrote one that was practically scene by scene for a sci-fi that I wanted to try my hand at) by the time I am finished outlining, I no longer want to write the book. I know everything that is going to happen and it takes the fun out of it. For me. I feel like I should mention that again, haha! But I also never get anything done if I just sit down to write with no heading whatsoever. That is why I write out what I call the “headlights” of a story, those key beats and plot points that have to happen for the story to make sense and for it to be enjoyable. These headlights may only take up one or two pages and that’s okay, it gives me a sense of direction. And as I write, I add on; what would make sense from the story so far? But I don’t go too in-depth. I keep it pretty simple.
Writing whatever I can think of. I know that some people say to just write it down and edit later, but as an editor I highly advise against that. You can end up with so much that just looking at the draft is daunting and you’re main story feels like it has gotten lost. At that point, the “revisions” are more like a total rewrite and why should you have to waste your time and energy like that?
Has this every happened to you? Where you just didn’t know what your next step should be? What are some things you did to keep writing?
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