Yep, we've all been there before. I know that I've been there a hundred times (and will be there another hundred times more). So, you're in good company, because even the best—certainly not including myself in that category—have started right where you are.

Let's get into it then. How do you avoid hitting a wall or even how do you get past it?

My answer is this. Climb it, get a sledgehammer to knock it down, dig under it, or do whatever it takes to find a way through. Just be sure to stay persistent. Even if it means taking a step back, working on a different scene, or keep chipping away at that wall until it falls.

Although, there are a bit more specific ways to avoid such matters. My friend—who this discussion is to help—told me she struggles with keeping the plot flowing and not getting trapped in bland dialogue (which will be another discussion). It's easy to think that this is a lack of skill or knowledge, but in all honesty, it's neither.

A stuttering plot and bland dialogue are the result of multiple thing, but one in particular has been the greatest problem—in my personal opinion at least. For me and a lot of people I've spoken with in the past, it's been a distinct lack of practice, which was probably the hardest of lessons for me to learn. Sometimes, there are no shortcuts, no simple answers, or easy ways of bypassing things.

Of course, there are many practices that can help things. Plot can be helped by planning things ahead of time, but if you're a pantster like me, that rarely happens. If you are, then there's a way of simple plotting.

Open a note, document, or whatever you use to write, and put down how the story will flow. It can be as simple or detailed as you want it to be. Include whatever you feel like—details, conversations, or just the basic storyline. This is something I started doing more recently that has helped immensely. Because now, I have a tentative outline that I can meddle with and follow instead of blindly typing myself into a tight corner with the plot zombies closing in.

Yes, I like to think of plot holes and snags as zombies. Because for me, it's motivation to slash my way out like a bad-butt heroine, and it makes fixing the issues so much more gratifying for me. Give it a try; it might help you too.

Back to the topic at hand though, plotting can be a complicated process. It doesn't have to be overly detailed—at least not the first draft. Everyone is unique, and there's no point in trying to force yourself to follow someone else's exact process if it doesn't work for you. Still, find your groove and stick to it.

Here's an example of my 'plotting' for one of my other stories, A Siren's Sorrow—without any spoilers in case you're reading it:

She goes with her dad to a mysterious 'birthday celebration' that leads to her in an old decrepit mystic shop. The woman shoos her dad away and places her down in a creaking chair. She has her place her hands on the table with palms to the ceiling as she traces the same lines over and over. All the while, she talks.

She tells her a story about the misunderstood Sirens. That the ones in the book lured sailors to their deaths with their song, but that's not the truth as she claims. Those were people with something special, who saw the darkness in the souls of others and were the only ones who could banish it.

"They were much like you, Elinor, but they were changed. The thing that they valued most about themselves—what others would remember them by—was taken away from them. It was replaced by something else. A quality as unique to them as the one taken away.

"Those qualities were used to search for the one thing that could return what they had lost and to fulfill their destiny until it was found. It was used to determine who a person truly was. They received a gift to help cleanse those who needed it most."

It wasn't until the old woman gripped her wrist that the feeling began.

I was thinking that the searching for Hope could take a darker turn. The general idea is that they're able to sense the true nature of people. So while they search for their Hope, sometimes signals get crossed...

The rest of the plot goes on much farther, but that's the general idea. In the middle of some of it, I've included details for scenes and dialogues that I have thought of either while plotting or in odd moments. Some of them might not make it to the story, but they're great to have around for when they do.

It's also great to have a plot around. If you happen to get stuck, move down a couple scenes, work on that one thing you're super excited about, or take a minute to step back a breathe.

Just don't lose momentum. It's hard to get it back once it's gone.

I hope this might be a bit helpful as you continue along in your grand writing adventures. Always remember to just keep writing because your brain—even the writing kind—is like a muscle. You have to exercise and use it for it to get stronger.

Stay wonderful, darlings. Xx

— Sai