ever had to deal with blank page syndrome? I'd love to write an actual novel and I have some ideas but it's like I'm not able to ever start even outlining
Ah yes the wonderful tried and true experience of âI want to write but I donât know what to writeâ. My advice isnât really for everyone (since I think Iâm a prettyâŚshall we say analytical writer rather than particularly creative) but hereâs what got me out of ever having to deal with that ever again.
Usually the blank page problem happens when I donât actually have a real idea of what I want to write. I might *think* I do, but usually that means I just have a character idea or really loose worldbuilding premise that Iâve convinced myself is a fully fleshed out plot premise, when itâs not.
For example, âa gay romance that takes place in a vampire boarding school. The main character is vampire royaltyâ isnât actually a plot premise. Itâs a setting, a romance element, and a character element.
When I want to convert that into an actual plot, I have to do a WHO goes WHERE to do WHAT and WHY. An actual plot with this premise would be âJane Doe, heir to a prestigious vampire dynasty, is sent to a prestigious boarding school to learn the tools of her trade. But when her roommate is murdered, things get complicated.â
As soon as the actual events are sort of made clear, actually plotting becomes way easier, because now you have a rough template.
After that, make a list of every idea youâd thought loosely about. Things you want to happen, character development moments, etc.
Usually after that is when I simultaneously open up the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet and roughly try to outline. If thereâs a specific moment Iâd wanted to write earlier, I try to plug it into an appropriate location on the beat sheet. I love he save the cat beat sheet because it keeps me on track and from getting too lost in the weeds and keep pacing.
Then usually Iâll read books or watch movies that have similar plots and take notes of what I thought worked in those, and then revise the outline as necessary.
For me, I find that if I donât have a sort of structure to plug ideas into for a story of X + Y = Z formula effect, the book wonât get written. Leaning on structure and good stories from before tends to make that page fill up, because then you have ideas youâre excited about and know where you want to take them
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