I need tons of help! (I'm taking a stab at urban fantasy and I'm very much a new writer.) I have been writing a story and it's been stagnated for quite some time. I have a loose idea of what I want to happen, but I"m so out of practice I do not know how to get it moving forward again. It's the beginning of the story and the main character is being trapped by her friend in order to convince her to join him on an errand (read: quest). How do I write this so that it does not become trite?
I've always found the best way to answer these kind of questions is to suggest that you look at stories that have elements you enjoy. I'm not saying that you should replicate the qualities you like but you might find it expands the way you think about your own story. Surrounding yourself by books is your best friend in this instance. If you're still stuck, ask for some critique.
As for writer's block and it stagnating don't panic. Getting too wound up over it is the quickest way to make it harder to get back in the saddle. Go read some books that inspire you or have qualities you aspire to have in your own writing. It can definitely help open your mind and get the creative juices flowing. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be a better writer and taking on the qualities of other good writers. That is not to say you should take someone else's idea but rather you learn and understand what qualities make a story good and engaging. Go for a walk, go see someplace that makes you feel inspired, watch movies or read books, write short stories.. Any of those things can help you break out of a mental block. As for not making something trite I'd say to avoid cliches. Don't write it if it doesn't fit into the plot or isn't necessary to the plot. Ask yourself some questions. Does this have to happen in order to get her to go on this quest or is there another way? Also consider your character as a person and what drives her and makes her tick. Every person's motivation for doing something will be different. She may do it for altruistic reasons or there may be something in it for her. She may have to be backed into a corner to get her to do it. It really depends on the character and how the quest relates to her. Take it one step at a time and try not to overwhelm yourself. Have some confidence in your writing but also have the humility to be willing to learn. Those things will help you get going and keep going.
I don't see your problem as essentially writer's block but I would say beginner's lack of confidence. The ideas (the plot, the scenes, the characters...) you have all seems great in your mind but when you finally begin writing, two/three paragraphs and you feel your writing is not so great (if not a pile of crap ), specially when you compare it with your fav novels/stories. The good news is, all beginners went through that phase, and the only solution is to simply go ahead and write. When you do have a first draft, or at least first draft of some chapters, you retrospect and find out why your written story is not as great as it is in your mind. Your can post excerpts for critique, ask somebody for advice if there is someone who is capable, read articles/books on writing, and re-read your fav novels and try to find out what is working for them. Practice this until you are able to find faults in your first draft. If you are asking specifically how to move a plot forward, then you have to come up with scenes which will contribute to your plot, and let the characters do actions, say dialogues, basically, make them react to situation you have created. Narratives, descriptions etc should also contribute to the plot, but action and reaction is the fastest way to move the plot forward.
I would say just write and write and get back in the saddle. Write 10,000 words, go back and try to edit it, you'll probably find its crap but at the tail end you'll see a huge improvement then spend a fortnight editing like a maniac. You'll have it back in no time and raring to go with your story.
Stories have four threads; the event story, the character story, the new world story and the mystery story. The event is what turns the world on it's head and moves the story. EG Finding the Ring in Lord of the Rings. The character story is how the characters are affected by these events. EG Frodo's transformation into a hero or Aragorn's path to becoming The new world story focuses on the new world the character finds themselves, whether physical or metaphorical. The mystery story involves solving a puzzle or discovering some hidden fact Combining these four elements gives a multi-layered story
I would make an outline for your story and write down all possible ways it could go. Write down every possible event, no matter how silly or outrageous it may seem. From there, it will be easier to pick out a plot line.
