"Finally," Teresa whispered to herself as she finished editing Chapter 7 of her masterpiece. "It's all falling into place." Done with setting the stage for the novel's main conflict, it's time for some action at last! Excited, she drafted a new chapter and titled it. The first sentence flowed out of her fingertips at lightning speed. Afterwards, she sat back and reviewed what she had written. "Well, that definitely sounded a whole lot better in my head..." Teresa deleted and rewrote the sentence, studying it again. It still was all wrong! After struggling through the first line, Teresa plodded through the first paragraph of Chapter 8, exercising the backspace key more often than usual. An hour later, she was still staring at a blank, white screen. Almost as empty as her mind. "What am I supposed to do?!" I can't figure out what happens next!!" Teresa wailed into oblivion, barely restraining herself from putting her fist through her new laptop.

It happens to the best of us. Even Teresa. We get to the gray area where the stage is set, the plan is ready and the characters poised.....but it's too early to bring in the grand finale. What do I do to ensure that the story keeps going, without falling into boring, space filling material? Here are some ideas to boost you out of the ditch of writer's block.

Imagine yourself in the story

Insert yourself into the plot. As the main character, what just happened to you in the story? How does that make you feel? If this happened in reality, how would you react? Would you act out of anger, sadness, excitement? Does the character feel bored and in need of spontaneity? Feel your character's emotions, and act accordingly.

Plot Twist!

Welp, the gang's all here, the plan's laid out, and the heroes have a good idea what problem they're facing.... Or do they?! Surprise! New problems to solve! Sometimes you as the author can get bored and sick of writing. I know I have. Just remind yourself, it's your book! You can do whatever you want! So, throw your readers to the other side of the tennis court with a shocking revelation, a hidden identity, or a faked death. Have fun with it!

Leave

If you've ever gotten to the point where you're ready to cry, scream, throw your pencil/laptop/phone across the room, you're not the only one. Sometimes what you really need is a good break to let off steam. Walk the dog, surf the net, hang out with friends or eat ice cream. Anything works! Just ensure that your book won't enter your head for at least an hour or so. Often, you'll find that you're in a much better place to brainstorm possibilities when you've taken some time to relax.

Ask for help

I promise it isn't that hard. Asking for help does not mean that you have failed to write a book, or that you might be plagiarizing someone else. Pick up any book in your house, most if not all of them have acknowledgement and dedication sections! "Special thanks to Teresa, without whom none of this would be possible." Even J.R.R. Tolkien got help from other people to write Lord of the Rings! Maybe your mom has a good idea of the next logical step in the story, or your dad has a great idea for the next big action sequence. Who knows, maybe your little brother's idea for adding space alien robots might come in useful after all! Who doesn't like space alien robots? Also, there are many websites and blogs that deal with this sort of thing. It's their job, and it never hurts to send off a quick Google search.

Read your story

As simple as it sounds, reading your own story can be extremely beneficial. You'll notice things you didn't notice before, like how this character has a bit of an attitude, or how this scene could be turned into a significant period of history. Pick apart your characters again, and rediscover your motivation for writing. Maybe this character is displaying signs of aggression or deceit, perfect for a later betrayal! Or perhaps Brandon, so innocuous and unassuming. He's probably the mastermind of the whole thing! Have fun exploring new ideas with your favorite characters!

All right guys, I think we're getting somewhere! Now how to tie up all the loose ends....