...when it comes to my main project that is. For short stories and other works I have plenty of ideas. But for my main project I have realized that I haven't had any new ideas or scenes for many years now. At the beginning I was brimming with ideas and had many, many scenes. Now I am living of off old meat. Got work for about 2 full books in an intended series, and just several pieces of other books. What I am missing is some parts to make the pieces of the other books into full books. The pieces themselves don't fit into one single book. But it seems like I have trouble coming up with new scenes for my book series. I have a beginning and an end, just missing some parts of the middle. I thought that by writing the first book to completion or near (it is almost in draft one), I would get new ideas, but none have come. At one point I even had to call my brother (who is also a creative writer) for an idea for a scene in my first book. I couldn't even come up with that myself, which usually isn't a problem for me. It's not a loss of passion, certainly not. I am very passionate about my work. So what is it that's wrong? Any ideas? Anyone know how to reinvigorate the creative muse? I do try to read much and discover new worlds and concepts.
It sounds like you’re missing plot structure. Have you tried looking at it from a outer view and analyzed what’s driving your story forward? What leads one part to the next. Make sure you have good plot mechanisms and maybe look at it from a character growth POV too.
Missing plot structure could very well be the case. I did an outline for book one, but have not done an outline for the entire series. I just know the beginning and end, while some parts of the middle are missing. So if I structure everything and do an outline, that may help. Thank you. I do have ideas for a series, just some of the middle parts aren't connecting well with each other, so they need to be in separate books. But the problem with the parts is that they aren't enough for full books. So my next step is to create a series outline and see if that triggers some new ideas and scenes.
It sounds like you’re in the Great Swampy Middle. Edit: looks like the full post is down. This is what I was able to find: — Here's the nutshell concept: Plan a great big freaking event for the end of the middle. You want it to be a big dramatic confrontation of whatever kind is appropriate to your genre. The fallout from your big bad Big Middle event should be what boots the book down the homestretch to reach the story's climax. Really lay out the fireworks. Hit the reader with everything you can. PLAN THE BIG MIDDLE EVENT. Then, as you work through the middle, WORK TO BUILD UP TO IT. Drop in the little hints, establish the proper props and motivations and such. Make sure that everything you do in the middle of the book is helping you build up to the BIG MIDDLE. (I've used the Big Middle concept in EVERY book I've ever published. It works. It ain't broke. It ain't the only way to do the middle, either, but it's one way.)
Writing is completely different from my audio career. In the studio I spent all my time correcting mistakes. As a writer I keep having to screw things up (for my characters).
For me, Muse and Music go together...I have created entire characters and chapters from a single song.
I've mentioned it before, but, as a former musician and recording engineer, I find music distracting. Songs do inspire ideas, however. I was stuck on finding a strong name for a character, and one day, while driving, Maxwell Silverhammer came on the radio. Maxwell - Max - worked for me! And, of course, he's" Mad Max" and lived up to that name in the early part of his military career.
I created an entire character and backstory for a character in my WIP based on A Rose for Epona by Eluveitie
