Letters from Camp: One of those days!

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Well, I had plans about what I wanted to post today, but… it was one of those days!  Honestly, it has been one of those months lately!  While I have all these wonderful creatures to dance and play with.  Having spent time with the dryads and nymphs.  Swimming with the mermaids, riding the unicorns, and hiding from the harpies, the words have just been elusive!

It is camp! Time to write with this literary abandon! Enjoy the journey and travel out with my characters wherever the trail leads, and yet… here I stand. My tent is pitched, I have my hiking gear one, and an awesome bag of trail mix, not to mention the great map with tons of trails to explore, and yet… it would seem that Melody really doesn’t want to come out to play!

I am at a loss! I have tried everything I can think of to entice her out.  Yet the story still sits there! three scenes total! That is all I really have left.  Maybe four, if I want to add a bit more to the framework.  That is nothing! Ten thousand words I figured, no problem!  And I am standing here, like… maybe they forgot me? The bus for camp left early this year?  I don’t know!

What do you do when you are stuck?  What is one sure fire way for you to get your characters to talk to you when they are silent?  Do you have any go-to tools for the silence?

A Bit Late

 

Well, this update is coming a bit late, but I struggled ALL day with my word count.  Could not get anything out.  For the first time ever I have a complete outline (that I did in just a couple of days) and I even know the plot before writing the story!  These are big things for me!  But what I am finding is… I have not been able to write.  I don’t know if the characters are just that shy that they are not really speaking through me, or if I am stuck thinking about my outline.  All I know is I was well and truly stuck! managing only 36 whole words before 10 pm tonight!

courtesy of Google

Well, all of that has changed thanks to one of my wonderful writerly friends!!!  Her suggestion… well let me warn you it was totally off the wall crazy! (So crazy it just might work!) *falls over giggling*

Anyway, the idea was this:  Write the exact opposite of your outline.  Instead of people coming in killing, have a group of good guys coming in and giving hugs, and instead of keeping the main character alive, maybe they accidentally kill her off.  Now I don’t know what is exactly is going to happen from all of this nonsense, but let me tell ya, in 15 minutes I had managed over 750 words!  And it was fun, and I know for a fact I even managed to learn several details about my story!

That said, never be afraid to play with your work!  It doesn’t matter if it is just going to be tossed.  Even taking fifteen minutes to be silly, you never know what you will get.  Hey! I am even thinking the whole tone of my story might change from this!  The serious piece I was starting to write, just might change to a satire piece, or just something light and fluffy!  You never know where the writing trails may lead!  One of the best things about NaNo!

 

How about you?  Are you managing to get your word count?  Or are you stuck like I was?  If so, take my friends advice!  Even take one scene and write it the opposite of what you have, who knows where it might take you!  If you do I would love to hear from you!  Either way, let me know how the writing is going!