You might remember me writing about Guardians sometime last year. It’s my latest WIP, and so far I’ve really enjoyed crafting the story. It’s got guardian angel-like beings, magical overlords, and romance. Or at least, I thought it had romance.
My two main characters were supposed to fall in love and save each other. But they’re just not cooperating. Their romance is so…meh. I can’t seem to make their attraction believable or rewarding to read about. It’s a mess.
Meanwhile, two sets of other characters are hellbent on making their romances the center of the story. This is a new problem for me. Usually, I dream up an interaction between two characters and the rest comes from there.
So I’m more than 30,000 words into a story that I’m starting to not care about. It’s a roadblock, to say the least. I think my creative juices have just stalled a bit. Can juices stall? It’s January in the middle of a pandemic and some people just mobbed the Capital Building (yep, I went there), so maybe creative mind is just feeling a bit stifled.
For now, I’m putting it aside. Just like that wonderful scene in Kiki’s Delivery Service when Ursula says, “Stop trying. Take long walks. Look at the scenery. Doze off at noon. Don’t even think about [writing].”
And so, I’ll practice yoga and martial arts, take my kids to the park when the sun comes out, use my new watercolor pens, and stop trying to make Ella and Robbie work things out.
Maybe they’re just good friends.
Take care, dear readers. Be well.
Brigid Huey 
I find that this always happens halfway through a novel, doesn’t it? I’m over 30k in to mine too, and it’s starting to sag a little. But I keep plowing through because I’ve felt this before, so I know that it’s normal Wishing you the best with your WIP, Brigid!
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Thanks, Stuart! I think a little break will make room for new creative thoughts. Good luck to you as well 🙂
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I visited your Facebook page and stumbled on this. I’m not a writer, but the advice above seems appropriate to anything creative or even work that requires problem solving. Get away from it for awhile and you really do seem to go back and be able to find the solution. I’m and old lady and recognize this in so many areas of life, not that I didn’t have to learn it the hard way lots of times. HA! 😀
It’s going to drive me crazy until I can find my copy of Kiki’s Delivery Service (there has been a move since last watched) but is that graphic a scene from that delightful film?
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Hi Michelle! Yes, it’s from Kiki’s Delivery Service! One of my favorites. Thank you for your kind words and advice. You’re so right, putting it away usually helps…as long as I actually do return to it!
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Well, you DO have a lot of irons in the fire. Thanks for answering my silly question. Best of luck.
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