How to keep going when you hit a roadblock in your story

Kia ora lovely,

how’s your story going this week?

I write to you from the Dangerous Kitchen cafe, Tākaka, where they have the best smoked salmon pizza in all of the world.

Have you hit a roadblock in your story? Perhaps you need more information. Maybe you’re writing about a chapter of your life that wasn’t very pleasant. Maybe you’re not sure what to write next.

Welcome to the world of writing! All writers hit snags. You’re not alone.

Here are my thoughts about what to do, drawn from seven years of memoir and history writing, (I’m currently writing two books, one about the history of a hydro power station, and the other about New Zealand’s first gay mens’ retreat. My team and I are also editing, illustrating and designing a memoir).

1. Pause. Step back from it for a few days and let your inner dust settle. Completely let it go and see if any fresh ideas come (you know, like the shower-ideas, or in my case the walking-the-dog-ideas).
2. If the pause doesn’t help, see if you can drive around your road block, so to speak. Can you write another section of your book?
3. If you have to write it now, here are two options: you could write the short ‘n sweet version of this harder-to-write part. This is where you stick to the facts, remove any opinions and write it as succinctly as you can. I’d liken it to a short news story in a newspaper. Then, once it’s done, move forward.
4. Or the other option is to be very honest as you write, and allow yourself to feel those big feelings. Really dive into the scenes and take the reader with you. Mike, who is on my memoir course, often tells us that if he cries as he writes his story, he knows he’s onto a good thing because the reader will feel just as moved as he does. Having read some of his story, I agree.
5. Remember to be very kind and encouraging to yourself. And patient. And stubborn, believe me, stubborn is useful. These stories usually take longer than you expect, and they’ll often challenge you in ways you’re not prepared for.

The most important thing is that you keep moving forward and putting in the pieces of the puzzle, one piece at a time, until you’re finished.

Charlotte

PS if you’d like help with that, here are three ways I work with people who are writing their memoirs, life stories and histories:

1. You can join my online course Write Your Memoir just in time for our next monthly meet up where we check in about progress towards our writing goals and share half pages of writing for encouraging feedback.
2. My team and I can edit a story you’ve already written, and design it into a book that will one day appear in your letter box.
3. My team and I can write, edit and design your entire book.