Academy · Fundamentals
I'm stuck and I don't know what to do
I am stuck and don't know what to write next.
Beginner
Three quick checks. One: are you stuck on this scene, or stuck on the bigger story? If it's this scene, look at the last beat that worked and ask what the character wants right now. If it's the bigger story, open the Beat Map and look at the gap between what just happened and what you want next. Two: try writing the worst possible version of the next paragraph. Bad writing is always easier to fix than no writing. Three: skip the part you can't see and write the next part you can. Pendraic doesn't care about chronological order.
Example
Open the next scene's placeholder, type "they walk into the room and" and let yourself stay there for two minutes. Anything is allowed. Whatever shows up first is your starting point.
What to try
- Open the editor on your last scene
- Run an audit on the chapter
Related questions
- How do I find my middle?
- How do I write through writers' block?