Barbara Ankrum
Like most writers I know, I get stuck occasionally, but with a deadline looming, I don't have the luxury of allowing myself to stay stuck or even calling my mental pause 'writer's block'. (Too scary!) Having someone else to bounce the scene problem off of is helpful, but we don't always have that. So I'll ask myself questions about motivation or conflict or theme and see if I can figure out what's not working about a scene. Sometimes, I've made a wrong turn and I have to go back to where it was still working or flowing for me. Often it's as simple as realizing I'm in the wrong point of view and need to look at which character really has the most at stake in the scene. Then the scene that was limping along will just take off. If you find yourself stuck, don't give yourself permission to quit or to call it something that will give it power. Take a walk, interview your characters, sit back down and keep going.
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