Like every writer, I have suffered from writer’s block. I have stared at the screen, willing words to come. I have grabbed a pen and a notebook, hoping a change of format might spark a new idea. I have switched projects in hopes of settling my mind. Yet when I return to the project, the words still don’t flow.
What story magic am I missing? Is the story simply not viable? Would the story be better in the Trash folder, never to be touched again?
Thankfully, I have found a writing road map in Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. This book breaks down the story into three acts, then further into the parts of each act.
In my most recent writing project, I put my main character through many ups and downs. Act 1 morphed into Act 2 through a wonderful catalyst. (I think it’s wonderful, anyway!) Act 2 brought even more action…and then my writing stalled. Something was missing, I knew deep down.
So I cracked open Save the Cat! and realized I simply forgot that after all this turmoil, my character needed time to breathe, time to think, time to make a decision, before she went from Act 1 to Act 2. She had to react to the events.
I read on and also realized I haven’t added any B Story characters to help my character find her way. Without a B Story character, the theme has been murky and difficult to write about and my character doesn’t quite seem believable. She can’t figure everything out on her own. She needs help—and I do too.
As a writer, I need to read books about the craft of writing. I have read several and grown as a writer each time. Some I like more than others. And some, such as Save the Cat!, occupy prime space on the top of my desk, ready to be thumbed through in an instant.