Finding the Real Problem

I recently sang a solo. In public. I should probably get to my point before my hands start shaking again. Let's just say that I don't enjoy being in front of audiences.

As I practiced, I noticed that there was one line that I was always off on. I'd practice the line alone and it would be fine, but as soon as I tried to sing the entire piece, I was off. I couldn't figure out why. Finally I looked at the line before and realized that, sure enough, I was sharp on the high note (which really wasn't high, it was just the highest note in the line) and threw the rest of the notes off.

I tried to write a story once. (I've written several, but this is the only one I've made significant progress in and never finished.) I reached page 150 and realized I'd written myself into a corner. The characters were basically arguing out the dialog in my head about why every single solution I had wouldn't work. I deleted most of it and tried again. Somewhere after page 100, I gave up. The characters were arguing again about there being no solution to the problem.

I started a new story.

The problem wasn't where I noticed everything falling apart, though. The problem came earlier, in the scenes setting up the world and the conflict. I still have the same problem now sometimes. I've noticed that when I'm stuck on a story and can't figure out what to do, it's usually because something is wrong earlier in the story.

I'm getting ready to jump back into a story where I made a similar mistake. I was nearly halfway through writing the first draft and, although I made good time getting the draft out, it felt very bland to me. I finally figured out that my problem was in the set-up and in the choice that my MC had to face. I only wish it hadn't taken me 30,000 words to figure out the real issue.

In any case, I've learned that when I get stuck or have "writer's block," to go back and look at what I've already written. Usually I can find the problem somewhere in there.