I am currently stuck. No, it's not a writers block. I am just stuck at a particular scene and I don't know what is the best and most logical way for the characters to get out of it. But past that, I know almost everything, till the book ends. The point is, it has been a week or 2 since I am stuck and I can't move. If it wasn't for this simple situation that hapenned, I would be thousands of words ahead. What do you guys do when you are stuck in a small situation that impedes you from proceding? Should I jump it and then come back later? To make it more clear, let me give an specific example of my situation: The main characters can't move on on their advanture because one of them has a sister in coma, and he don't know where to leave her so she can be attended to while he travels. I know, its pretty basic and you all must be laughing now, but it really blocked me and now I am completely stuck
Jump ahead. Or jump back and foreshadow a possible safe location or a friendly and qualified character that can look after her.
Hi Skyes, I tend to fixate and can't progress if I can't fix the problem so I feel your pain. The sensible thing to do if you really can't work it out, would be what Chinspinner suggested and move ahead/go back and reapproach the scene. If you're intending to stay put until it's fixed, I find a good jump-starter is to detail what absolutely cannot fix the problem. eg: she won't wake up from the coma. MC won't dig a hole and leave her in it. MC won't bribe someone to take her. I find doing that helps me hone in on what kind of resolution I'm looking for and just gets the ideas flowing again. Might be worth a try? Good luck!
Just roll on past it and write the rest. If you really know how the rest will go, it shouldn't be such a big deal to skip this scene and come back later to fill in the blanks. The other option is just to write the scene in the most skeletal, outlined form and then move on. That will let you keep your continuity straight while you keep writing.
I usually sit on it until I figure it out, but these are not the kind of problem that slows me down. It is usually deciding the best idea out of a bunch of possible ones. My advice to you is that you can always write in a small scene where they solve their mini problem before proceeding.
As @Nilfiry said, this kind of problem does not hold me up for more than the time it takes to decide on an option. Unless you foresee the choice of treatment for the sister is going to have important consequences later in the story, you just have to pick on option and go with it. There is nothing to say that you can't change it during edit if you're not satisfied.
