Determination in the Face

about overcoming writer's block

Everyone gets writer's block, including me. It especially hurts when you have someone eagerly following the progress of your story. But lately, with my story 'Secrets in Steel', I have hit one too many roadblocks. I am writing from beginning to end, which is probably not the best way to write a story. At the end of my 475KB Word Document, there is a whole bunch of random paragraphs that are little scenes I want to insert somewhere. As I go back and read through the two 1/2 inch volumes now filled with printed pages of my story, I find many things I want to change and a lot of things I need to change. But lately, the printer has grown cold. I do email my friends the manuscript as I go, but have yet to print what I have.

My story is a sort of science-fiction story, set in the future and starring an escaped genetic experiment, a girl who is supposed to be the perfect human/ fighting machine. I have fun incorporating different schools of thought into the philosophies going into the book, but progress has been slow. I am on page 166 and stuck. I know where I need to go, just not how to get there. I know the bones, but not the flesh.

I watch a lot of movies and read authors like Brian Jacques to get me inspired and writing, but these flashes don't last long. I suppose you could say I am growing weary of documenting the thoughts running about in my head. But I love imagining my characters, and am eager to finish and maybe get it published!! But 'Secrets in Steel' will not go anywhere unless I buckle down and get writing. I can make all the fun "movie" trailers I want for it on all the neat programs on my computer, but that will not complete the book. I have to sit down and write.

J.K Rowling is coming out with the final Harry Potter, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', in July. To be honest, that was really fast writing. The 'Half-Blood Prince' came out last year, wasn't it? Anyway, I cannot generate material that fast. Maybe someday I will, when I am a world-famous author, the world is hanging, waiting for the sequel to my latest book, when I have publishers demanding I meet deadlines, and I am writing on contract. But until then, without any pressure except that from my own mind, I must be disciplined and write when I can. It's good practice.