What to do when you’re stuck in a scene

Anonymous asked:

In my book a human and a demon are falling in love, but the demon boy (Ben) hasn’t told the human girl (Trinity) what he is. They are in his car alone for the first time and she wants to hear the truth. But all I have come up with is: “We were silent for a few minutes as we drove to the hotel in the dark peaceful night. I was waiting for him to keep his promise, to tell me what he truely was. Still, he never said a word. So I decided to break the silence.” And that’s where I am stuck! How do I help Trinity convince Ben to tell her his secret??

From what you’re saying here, it sounds like this scene just plain out isn’t working. If you’re stuck, think about why you’re stuck. It might not be you that’s having the problem — perhaps the character herself has no idea how to approach this situation. Maybe the two of them aren’t in the right place to have this conversation. Maybe there’s no way Ben will tell her that he’s a demon without an outside force making him do so. If the scene isn’t working, you need to change something about it to make it work. As the author, you have endless power to do that! Whatever happens, don’t force it, because then it won’t feel real.

Location sets the mood, and if the location isn’t working, the entire scene will feel off. Think to yourself — where else could they be that would make this work better? A party? Stuck on a broken down ferris wheel at an amusement park? His demonic secret lair that Trinity follows him to? Brainstorm as many places as you can (it doesn’t matter how ridiculous they are, because you only have to choose one!) and decide which inspires you the most. Then write the scene in that location, and see what happens from there!

You can also throw an outside force into the scene. If the conversation between the two of them isn’t working, maybe something needs to happen to move it along. Again, brainstorm tons of ideas before choosing! Another demon could pop out of the shadows and attack, forcing Ben to reveal his powers while he fights it off. They could get in a car accident, and Ben has to use his powers to save her life. There could be an object inside of the car that reminds her of something she’s read about or seen somewhere, and she questions him about it. Let your mind wander until you come up with something that you feel would be the most exciting!

I hope that was helpful 🙂

If anyone has other questions about writing, please ask them by commenting here.

xoxo,

Michelle