(no subject)

[ravissant-rouge.livejournal.com]

Is anyone else not even close to 50000 words but already just about all out of plot? Somehow or another my MC's have just about sorted everything out, and I'm left wondering if I'm going to need to kill someone or what to get the plot going again.

Is anyone in the same boat? Or does anyone have any suggestions? The second week slump is hitting me hard...

Comments

[noted.livejournal.com]

I am in the same exact boat. I really hate the second week slump.

[kisamehada.livejournal.com]

Yup, same here. I'm at 22k words, and can really only see my plot going for another 10k before it's finished.

I've pretty much decided to modify what I was going to do for the ending, and make it the apex of the story. Hopefully, I can come up with another 30kish words to hit my 50k.

Good luck everyone, and don't let the second week kill you!

[ravissant-rouge.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm at about 21k and am losing steam faaaast. I'm going back right now and fleshing out some earlier scenes but I think it is gonna take some major creative thinking to make this go for another 30k.

Thanks for commenting. It's good to know I'mnot alone :-P

[aislinggheal.livejournal.com]

Do you ever watch Law and Order? Sometimes the case will get wrapped up, and yet it is only 20 or 30 minutes past the hour. That's when they introduce a secondary plot which usually spins off from the first one. I think that is the way I would deal with your problem.

Also, years ago I took a creative writing class, and my teacher was a novelist. He insisted that every good plot could be boiled down to the following formula: Character(s) have a problem to solve. They try to solve it and fail. They try again, and this time either solve the problem or must come to terms with the fact that the problem is not solvable. Now, I don't agree with him that every plot can be boiled down to this, it can be a helpful way to look at things.

[ravissant-rouge.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that advice! Both things were actually really helpful!

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

I'm having the opposite happen. I'm at over 12K and am not very far along at all. I kind of like that though. It makes me think my story will be over 50K even.

[ravissant-rouge.livejournal.com]

You're lucky!

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

Add subplot. Give one of your secondary characters a love life, or a mystery to solve, or a slight to avenge. If necessary, produce a second generation and give them some problems. No story ever finishes, not unless the world comes to an end, and perhaps not even then. You just stop writing it.

[alexcat.livejournal.com]

Yes, my plot is about to run its course I figure in about 3-4 more days of writing. My readers tell me there is much I can elaborate on still though so I'm not slumping yet.

[themurphybed.livejournal.com]

I would look back at the plot you've already written and ask yourself, "What if" questions. Don't take anything for granted. If someone died, ask what if someone is coming to town to avenge them? If your MC has done something slightly illegal in their past, what if they were caught and had to skip town?

[being-lola-star.livejournal.com]

I hit 13K last night and realized that I've acctually don almost none of the things I want to do with my characters. I think I have too many subplots and things going on. Also my descriptions of places are atrociously long. I'm so into my story I'd rather write it then live right now. I'm such a terrible "what if" person though. Even in stories that are published I look at them and see, "well what if this happened?" or "What are they going to do not that this person has done these things." Nothing ever ends for me!

[mitsuko-chan.livejournal.com]

I'm also at the exact opposite right now. 12K words, I haven't even gotten out of my introductory phase and started the real plot yet. Though, that's really starting to drag on me. I skipped a good 2K words of the introductory part already 'cause I wanted to get on to the main story. I'm finally coming to the end of the introductory, though, and will probably have it finished within 5K. Thankfully.

D:

[antiquates.livejournal.com]

I'm at 10k or so and I'm having the same problem! I've had to skip a few things I had planned because it's taking me forever to get the plot started. I definitely understand. :| I think I have another 2-4k to churn out before I can get done the introductory stuff, too.

[whiterabbit08.livejournal.com]

I'm in the same boat, but I cannot kill anyone too soon because I already killed off about three people though they were minor characters. D:

[mystcrave.livejournal.com]

Funny! XD

[lornalux.livejournal.com]

Me too! Yikes.

[puffingnoise.livejournal.com]

That happened to me last year. I was at 20,000 words and had no plot left, so I decided to write more than one stories on the same subject. So that got me to 50,000, but I ended up throwing half of it out during editing.

[jl-johnson.livejournal.com]

*waves* Hi :D

It's soo spooky you posted this. About Wednesday last week I realized that maybe my story wasn't going to make the mark either. I had it fleshed out at 5k per chapter, but now I'll be lucky if I can make it to chapter 7.

I had planned on telling it from the POV of the mother, but now I'm going to add the son and maybe some of POV from minor characters. I just hope it won't detract from the story.

[autumnrae89.livejournal.com]

I'm at 15k and I feel like I just can't get rolling any more. It's like there is a wall. I'm on one side and the story/plot/writing is on the other.

*Sighs*

Aaah well.