Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Writer's Block
So I've been working on a book that is more aimed at teenagers. I've got about 15 pages written so far and it's actually pretty darn good if I do say so myself. I know where I want the story to go... I know what I want to do.. I'm just having the hardest time GETTING there. I gave myself a week off and now I'm re-reading what I've written to try and see if inspiration strikes. And yet I am STILL having a hard time coming up with the words. I think part of my problem is I am very good about writing descriptive phrases, telling the reader what is going on, but dialogue?? Dialogue I find VERY difficult to write, and write WELL. Maybe it would help if I wasn't so super-critical of my writing, but as an english major I have a hard time NOT being so picky. I want the story to flow, I want it to be INTERESTING, and I want it to live up to my rather high standards of what I look for in book. I want it to be something that I would pick up and read.. and LIKE. Any suggestions??? I'm desperate here people!!!
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Let me suggest one trick. When you bog down with dialog, put in a place-holder. Write down the essence of what you want said (the parts that advance the plot, or explain the character, or anything else that made you decide dialog was needed at all) in ALL CAPS (so you can come back later and fix it up).
The point is that this way you aren't agonizing about how to make the dialog realistic. That can be tough, and time consuming, and draining. Instead, you can quickly get past the point and get on to the parts that you feel flow better, the good stuff like inventing demon dust (and where can I buy some of it?).
There's a side benefit. Sooner or later, you're going to decide that a major part of your story has to go. Either it doesn't make sense any longer, or it spoils something else, or you just plain don't like it any more. If the condemned section contains dialog that you've sweated over, throwing it away is going to be that much harder. You'll be tempted to keep it, either by moving it or by changing something else.
But if the dialog is no more than, SHE TELLS HIM THAT SHE WOULDN'T SPEND THE EVENING WITH HIM IF HE WERE THE LAST WOLF ON EARTH, AND HE MAKES A WITTY REPLY TO COVER THE PAIN HE FEELS, you'll toss it with no qualms whatever.
Once the story is all there, it will be much easier for you to go back and fill in the dialogs. For one thing, you'll know the characters even better. Writing dialog may never be fun for you, but at least it won't be holding up other stuff.
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