Bang!

That was me hitting the next wall. I made quite a dent, but couldn’t make it all the way through.

In case you missed it, this post is a continuation of a series on overcoming writer’s block. Part One was all about setting and action. This post focuses on how to use a little historical research to create characters that leap off the page.

The great thing about characters is that you are not necessarily limited to your story’s time period. People of all types lived during all ages.

Sometimes you hit the wall.

The Great Wall of Writer’s Block.

You can peek over; know there’s something much better on the other side, but you just can’t find your way through.

So far, I have identified three types of walls that pen me in once a story is underway:

1. I need a scene, but can’t visualize the setting or action in that scene.
2. I need a character, but don’t have a voice or vision of that character.
3. I have a great setting full of interesting characters, but they stare blankly at each other, wondering why their author is so darn indecisive.

So I’m sharing some of the ways I use to break through the wall.