Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Camp NaNoWriMo 2014 - Day Eight

Sometimes, when writing, you are just plain out of ideas. You have no idea where the plot is going to go, and no idea what the characters should be doing. You have to sit down and write, but how much more can you write? There’s only so much mindless dialogue you can fit on the page.

It is at times like these where it is a good idea to shift characters and find a new point of view. For one, you can go through the same scenes again—only this time, you have a different character’s perspective. There is no reason why you can’t do the same scene twice, or even three or four times. The bad guy is going to have a vastly different read on things than your hero does, and they also handle the before and after of the battle differently. Once you have changed perspectives, you can stick to a character for a while, too. Sometimes that can be the best thing to do if you are stuck. A new point of view, with a new and potentially more interesting character, might give you the bolt of inspiration that you need.

If you are not quite as interested in that, try having your main character write a journal entry. Really go into their head. Switching from first person to third person can also create words and new ideas. Don’t be afraid to spice things up. Just keep going!


TODAY’S PLOT DEVICE: Someone finds a beehive and accidentally hits it. The swarm of bees comes out. RUUUUUUN!

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