Me: I really need a solution for the plot hole in my multichapter fanfiction that I've been trying to finish for weeks. So please, just for once, focus on the task at hand.
My brain: Oh yeah, got it. No problem.
Also my brain: You know I have this idea for a whole new story. Completely unrelated to the other one. What if we start this one instead.
My dear, I will read your book.
Best believe I will not criticise the flow of words for I know they are born out of the heart. I will read despite the timeskips and flawed main couples, I will memorize your difficult pages despite their jaggedy flow.
But my dear, first you must bring me the book.
Write, my darling. The hypothetical reader in your mind is as inaccurate as one can be— for the reader that I am, all I need is words.
But you must write first, my darling. Do it for me
I'm your reader
The pain is like a sedative/ that kills me; makes me cry—and puts me to sleep/
-excerpt from my book💋💕
I feel as though my mind is barren. Like I can't produce more for my writing. Even the simplest of lines are starting to fascinate me now.
Writing was supposed to be therapeutic...
.. not this.
Does anyone else struggle with coming up with writing ideas? I want to write but I feel like I can’t come up with any original ideas.
The “What-If” Writing Method
Sometimes when I’m writing, brain just....stops. No more ideas. No more words. Nothing. Sometimes, the solution to this problem is to simply take a break from writing and let your brain relax. Other times, though, you really are just at a block for ideas. This happened to me significantly more often than I would like, but thankfully, I’ve developed a solution that works well for me, and it’s uncreativly titled the “what-if” method.
Get a piece of paper and pen. Or a Google doc, or whatever works best for you.
Start brainstorming questions about your story, or possible “what-if” scenarios. (Ex: What if my character got framed for a crime they didn’t commit?)
Write down every single idea that comes to your head. Even if it doesn’t really work for your story. Even ones that deviate from your existing plot. Even the stupid ones. Especially the stupidest ones.
Cross out the ideas you don’t like, circle the ones that you do like.
Start coming up with answers for the questions you circled, or expand in the by coming up with more questions. (Ex: They would have to prove they didn’t commit the crime to regain their freedom. How do they prove it?)
Repeat until you have a full idea that you can work on/write with.
That’s it. That’s the whole strategy. I’ve used this a million times, and it’s gotten me out of a million cases of writers block, so hopefully it can work well for you too! Happy writing!