Stuck in a rut? DELETE!!by Jan Jackson This article was first published in the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of the Volusia County (Florida) RWA chapter newsletter, Novel Notes. Yes, you read that right, delete. I know it's hard, but it worked for me. Ever get to a point in your story where you just can't move on no matter how hard you try? Where you sit and stare at the screen, try to type, and nothing will come? If so, then your character(s) may be trying to tell you something. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. Recently, I'd come to that place in my current work in progress. I was in the middle of an action scene (usually easy for me to write) and nothing would come. I just couldn't figure it out. I tried all the usual things: brainstorming with my critique partners, character sketches, scene goals, GMC, and nothing was working. Finally, in desperation, I thought since I can't move on from that last sentence, I'll delete it. So, I did. And still, nothing. Horribly frustrated by now and ready to pull my hair out, I decided to reread the scene from the very beginning. When I did, I realized that my heroine was terribly out of character and that her behavior not only did NOT up the stakes or bring out the conflict, it did the exact opposite. Once I realized the problem, I decided to delete the entire scene, something I rarely if ever do, and start from scratch. I was reluctant. After all, every word is worth its weight in gold when you're trying to crank out pages. But, once I took a deep breath and pressed the delete key, I got results. The words flowed and it was a much better scene than the original. My heroine was back to being the kick ass, take no prisoners gal I'd created and I had no problem typing away. Deleting an entire scene is an extreme solution. But, over the years, I've found that when the story isn't flowing or I'm stuck in a nasty rut, something is out of place or not quite right with the storyline or my characters. If I'm lucky, it's a quick fix. If not, deleting an entire scene is a much better choice than sitting in front of a blank screen. Try it. And yes, I did save my original scene (just in case). Jan Jackson is a long time member of VCRW. She served as President for five years and currently serves as Special Advisor to VCRW. She is a multi-contest winner and loves writing romantic suspense and paranormal romance.
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