Have you ever worked and reworked a story until you can hardly see straight? Until you're ready to explode with frustration? Until the words that fly from your mouth are not what your mother would appreciate? Until you just cannot carry on?
I am willing to bet that nearly every writer has had this kind of experience. I know I have and you most likely can say the same. Sometimes, the women in my online writing group will send a submission for critique writing something above it like "I have rewritten this over and over, and it still isn't right. Please help me fix it!"
When we reach this stage, we can't see the errors any longer, or if we see them cannot come up with a solution. Our mind simply refuses to look at them in an objective way. If this happens to you, don't despair. All is not lost. You need to step away for a while.
Not just hours, but maybe days. Let that story simmer on the back burner and move on to a new project, or even quit writing for a few days. I can almost guarantee that, even though you're not physically working on it, your mind is mulling it over. Be it consciously or subconsciously. You may find some answers to your problem by ignoring it.
One more way out of the dilemma of being stuck in a story is to ask another writer to look at it. As I mentioned above, my writing group has been able to help writers who are struggling with a story. If you aren't in a writing group, ask a writer friend to look at your story. Someone else can look objectively while you cannot. Someone else might see the problem immediately while your vision is completely clouded on this particular story.
When nothing works right in a story, know that it is time to step back and take a break. Be like the woman in our photo quote today. Find a beautiful place where you can be alone and let the answers come to you.
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