How to Solve a Problem in a Work-in-progress

April 26, 2010

Don’t know what happens next in that story you’re writing? Or maybe you don’t know how to fix a glaring problem in a chapter you’re rewriting? Here’s a method that I use to solve a problem in a work-in-progress:

  1. Ask yourself what is the problem? State it clearly. Write it down.
  2. Ask yourself what information, if any, you need to solve the problem. Do the necessary research.
  3. Wait for the answer, and trust that it will come. Try not to think about it. Go on to other tasks (menial tasks work well).

This technique may sound too simple, but the hardest part is trusting that it will work. Our subconscious minds are powerful tools. How often I forget to use it.

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