Monday, October 19, 2009

A contest! A contest!

But first, a word from our sponsor...

Have you ever had writer's block? That nasty feeling that makes you feel uncreative and worse--like a hack?

Have you spent hours hunched over your laptop, staring at a blank page in your current w.i.p. and wondering...what am I going to write next? Will I ever write again?

You know the feeling. You have the next scene all mapped out. You know what you need your character to do. But for whatever reason--it's. Not. Happening. You can't get that square peg to fit your round hole and the result is blockage.


Well friend, I'm telling you there's no need to worry. Because I have the fix for you. It's a simple word and you've heard it many time. Are you ready?

Conflict.

That's right.

It's all you need. Sprinkle a little conflict in there and you'll be all...

What's that? What did you say? You've already got conflict? Then, friend--it's not the right kind. After all, there's conflict and then there's CONFLICT! That's what I'm talking about. The big conflict. The kind that means aliens and exploding cars and global nuclear war and--what's that? You're writing a romance? And you don't have that kind of conflict?

Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. She's a romance writer and she already uses my system. Let's hear what she has to say:  

Take a look at what you've already written. Is it possible that what you're concerned with in the scene you finish yesterday, last week, last year already deals with the issues--the conflict--you think you need to work in?  I ask because I had a similar problem a few weeks ago. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the words out the way I needed to.The harder I tried to write, the worse the blockage became. And then...illumination.
The reason my character refused to do what I expected her to do was because I'd already done it. I just didn't realize it.

When I looked at the scene I'd just finished, I realized that I'd already taken my character as far as I could through her conflict and now--she needed to explore the results of the way she dealt with it. How will her decisions affect her now? And what new conflicts will arise?

Before I knew it, I was writing again.

And there you have it, friend. That's all you need to do.

Now, I know all of you are wondering. What contest? What can I win?

What can you win?  I'll tell you what you can win--a free copy (that's FREE) of Kissing Trick, C.D. Yates' newest release from TWRP. (If you'd like to read the first chapter, go here: Kissing Trick, Chapter One)

And all you need to do is leave a comment. :) (If you're one of my three readers, I think--if I'm doing the math correctly--you have a 1 in 3 chance to WIN!)

So act now! Don't delay!

2 comments:

  1. Love the idea of breaking writer's block with conflict! Never had it, and now I may never get it. Thanks for the advice C.D.

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  2. LOVED Kissing Trick! read it in one sitting. Funny doctor in the ER; hope to never meet him! lol

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