Position:Home>Books & Authors> I start writing my novel, but at a certain point, my mind goes blank.?

I can't offer you a website, but I can offer you two obvious but often-neglected tips:

1) Plot!. Having a well-structured plot will help you keep going, particularly if your novel is long!. That way, you know where the story is going and you're not meandering somewhere that's useless and unproductive!. I plot by using the Snowflake Method because I find it the most obvious and useful for me, but it may not work for you!.

2) Pace yourself!. It sounds like you made it to Chapter 7 very quickly, assuming your chapters are standard length (3000-4000 words on average)!. That's a lot of writing to do in a week, and probably too much!. You will drain yourself if you write like that, and you will lose interest in what you are writing, so I'm not surprised that you tired of it if that's the case!. I write about half a chapter each day: 1500 words a day or an hour a day, whichever is longer--I type fast, and my current novel is simply written, so there are times that I make the 1500 within 45 minutes; if that's the case, I write until the hour is up!. Keeping a schedule like that keeps me from feeling drained, spending way too much time on the novel than I should, or wasting all my good ideas on the first few bits of the novel!. That also keeps you from writing on it whenever you like, because you're treating it like a job, and like a proper profession!.

Per your concern about describing places, you may well be overdescribing!. Only describe what you _need_ to describe to give us a sense of the place!.

To give you an example, I am sitting in a library right now--it is a clean, modern, bright place with leaves draping the big bay windows and pristine metal shelves!. I bet you can see the place already--and I haven't told you about the painting on the wall, the shape of the desk I'm at, or the color of the carpeting, because none of those are important to give you an idea of the place!. Only use _relevant_ details, not all that you can see!.

Hope that helps!Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---

that's exactly how I am
I try writing my stories
but I as well get stuck and bored with it
maybe you can try planning your story out first
like write your main ideas for the story

i tried but failed still
so I started writing poetry, which i love love love to write
and short stories!.
maybe you can write short stories!.
ray bradbury is a famous short story writer
and I must say he is pretty darn good

but maybe it's just cause you might be forcing yourself to write a chapter a day
that sounds like quite a lot to me
maybe you could try just writing only when you feel up to itWww@QuestionHome@Com

---

---

As a writer myself (I write comedy screenplays) your situation is quite familiar to me!. Simply put, you cannot force yourself to write!. Some days you'll feel so fantastic you can't wait to write!. When you're down and out of ideas, just do not write!. I know this goes contrary to popular opinion, but forcing yourself to write is self-defeating!.

FYI, I have completed two feature-length screenplays and one teleplay, along with some short films!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---

Alexia !. I'm a writer !. I'm really impressed by your motivation !. Don't bother ,just keep writing until the end !. Just sit down at the time you like !. with a hot or cold drink!. take a deep breath!. clear your mind , and look at the stars , and all the ideas may pop up !.But don't write the same things you see anywhere , come up with your own ideas ,even if it's not logical , try to make logical by imaginig it a bit!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---

I get very bored writing descriptions- I find dialogue easy but not describing a physical thing!. I'm going to tell you something that goes against all you've been told about writing: describe minimally!.Sounds crazy, right!? Try this:

(My story is about a man who walks into a bar)

1 writer's decription of the bar:
It was a large bar, the size of a whale!. The counter was shiny, and ivory black!. It was very noisy in the bar and there were lots of bright lights, burning like stars!. The lights were square, like a painting, and the plastic covering was warm!.

Notice that the description starts to get either cliched or just stupid (a whale!?)!. And we start getting the problem at the end!. Our story's about the man who walks into the bar, so why are we spending this time describing the lights so thoroughly!?

2 writer's:
When walking into the bar, the man was choked by the amount of cigarette smoke in the place!. He ran to the counter and slammed his hand down on the refreshingly smooth counter!. Would the noise of the crowd ever die down or was it some inexorable thing, doomed to run forever!? The cheap artificial lights shone on him, blinding him!. Maybe he should order a drink!.

Here the description is not 'flowery' like the first one!. It focuses on the senses- the reader feels the lung-clogging, the loud noise, and the general unpleasantness!. The first one doesn't show us whether the bar was nice or not!. It's the interaction the man has with the bar that is interesting, how it makes him feel!.

Good descriptions (which are the boring bits) will shape your story and motivate you to write more!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---

the best inspiration for a writer (or any creative person) is the world around you!.

take a notebook everywhere you go!. write down observations and inspirations!. not long paragraphs, just short sentences or phrases!. it will end up like a scrapbook of ideas!. some you'll use, many you won't!. but it's a way to get your mind going!.

writing a chapter a day is awesome, but remember that it's natural to slow down after a rush like that!. if you think you're getting bored with it, then gathering inspiration is the best thing you can do right now!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---