Rachel Hawthorne: Dream It Up

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm stuck. I don't know what to write about for this blog. Worse than that, I'm not sure what happens in the next scene in my current WIP (Work in Progress). Yes, you'd think I'd know the story, because it's due to my editor next month—and I do know the big picture, but the little details are still in hiding. What exactly happens in Labor of Love now that my heroine has noticed the hot hero?

Maybe it's because of all the outlines the teachers made me create when I was in school, but even thinking about doing an outline now makes me shudder. I much prefer to just write and see where the characters and story take me. In other words, I write by the seat of my pants. Among writers, those of us who prefer the no-outline-unless-we-absolutely-have-to method are called "pantsters." And there are quite a few of us.

But inevitably, this method leaves me staring at my computer and wondering…Where do I go from here? What I'll usually do when this happens is take what I've written to bed with me. I read the final pages just before I go to sleep. And then I dream. Often I'll dream about the story, and I'll see the next scene. Sometimes it'll be so strong and clear that I'll wake up and start writing right then. (Keep paper and a pen that shines a beam of light nearby when midnight inspiration strikes.)

I love the satisfaction that's generated when the words flow.

That's how I deal with writers' block. I sleep on it. Better yet, I dream on it.

Are you an outliner or a pantster? What do you do when you get to a point in the story and you're not sure what happens next?

Rachel Hawthorne
Author of First Kisses 1: Trust Me