What to do when you're really stuck?

Hi, I don't want to go into too much detail because I want to figure out the answers for myself, but I just don't know how to get them.
I'm having trouble with my Fantasy book (planning stages) and just can't seem to make an progress, every time I try to sit and work on it my mind just goes blank...I get this overwhelmed feeling and just walk away and do something else. It's been going on for months.
I tried taking a brake, then trying something new and I just couldn't get into it because I like this other idea so much. It's like I try to do character work and go blank. I go to plot but can't because I go blank. I try to work on setting but can't because I have no idea what my plot is yet and so can't deepen my world at all. I don't even know who my POV character it yet.
Until now I've only done short stories. 1 day of planning. 1 day of writing. This is epic fantasy and I'm struggling obviously.

I just wanted to ask when you/if you have times like this what do you do? Thanks

 

Is it possible that you're trapped by the fear of wasted work?

My recommendation would be: Embrace wasted work.

When I'm stuck, I write scenes. I don't care that I haven't nailed something down or that it might change--I just make a largely random choice and write a scene.

At this point the manuscript of my WIP probably contains half of the scenes I've written for that work--or maybe less. I've probably written 100K of "wasted" words.

And I don't care. It would be nice if I were a more efficient writer, but I'm not, and I quite likely never will be.

 

Maybe it could be that but I have no idea what my problem is.
I'm even struggling giving my characters goals because I have no idea what their arc is or what I want to happen. I'm not normally a perfectionist - ask my Mum haha

 

Have them eat something. That's always my starting point.

 

I don't know if it'll help your particular situation, but I was recently in a similar situation, and I found the answer after a lot of strife: write a scene. Picture whatever event your character is in, and write that. Nothing more than the next five minutes of their existence: a conversation, a fight, whatever. I love writing dialogue, so I sat down and said.

"Okay, me: character is talking with guards. They won't let him in the gate, and he'd really rather be inside."

I got four or five pages just writing that scene. Maybe it can help you, too!

 

As @ChickenFreak said, it would be nice to be an efficient writer. But, like her, I'm not either. Every 'wasted' bit teaches me something, and many wasted bits contain little gems that do prove useful.

For me, it makes sense to have lots to work with. And many scenes, like @Infel suggests—ones that may not ever make it into the finished product—will provide usable material.

If you're stuck and don't know where to start ...just start. Anywhere. With anything. There is no risk AT ALL. Nothing you write is cast in bronze until you publish it.

Do NOT be tempted to start showing your first efforts to people either. Wait till you at least know what direction the story is taking. (My own preference is to wait till I'm done with a first draft, but other people like to get ongoing feedback. But don't be so quick to 'need' feedback from others that you can't move forward without it.)

Any writing helps you develop your writing style, and will also help to focus your brain on particular aspects of your potential story. Maybe even ones you haven't thought of yet. Don't wait for perfection to strike you. Just start. Anywhere. With anything. And see what happens.

...................

However, if what you need is more thinking time, then don't be afraid to take that as well. As I re-read your first post, @seira , it struck me that maybe you need to spend a little more time just thinking, and maybe taking notes as you get ideas. If you don't know what your world is, or what your settings are, or what your plot is, or who your characters will be ...then sitting down to write certainly will produce a blank. A 'break' isn't really what you need. What you need is time devoted to thinking about your story.

What do you find attractive about the world you think you want to create? What kind of a character would be interesting to you? Do you have any particular sorts of conflicts that you find compelling? (Family issues, love affairs, political shenanigans, mankind versus the elements...etc.)

Maybe indulge in some concentrated daydreaming, in whatever circumstances encourage daydreaming for you. For me it's taking a long, solitary walk through familiar territory (so I don't have to pay attention to where I'm going.) Or taking a long bus trip (by long, I mean one that takes several hours and gives me lots of time to look out the bus window and think.) Or lying in bed at night before going to sleep, or staying in bed for a while in the morning before I get up. These situations nearly always produce some good story ideas or solve story problems for me. (Be sure to have a notebook on hand, so you can scribble your ideas down, once they have gelled.)

 

You say you like this idea so much, so clearly there's something there already. So start there. Forget the planning, plotting, world-building. Just start writing. There's a chance you're not a plotter, but a pantser. Pantsers don't plan. If trying to plan is what's getting you stuck, stop planning. If it's a character that's inspired you, start writing his thoughts. What's he feeling and why? If it's an event or a scene that's inspired you, start writing that - how do your characters react?

One thing I learnt while writing my own book: you don't have to know the big picture. Just write the next most logical thing. Also, stop telling yourself all your ideas are ridiculous, if you are doing that. I know I did and that thought got me stuck all the time. Funnily enough, you know what thought got me through in the end?

It was: Just make it up.

You got a question and don't know the answer? Make it up.

It almost sounds insulting to say that, but the moment I realised how true that was (it's fiction, right?!), it wasn't so hard to come unstuck anymore.

So go on. You don't know something? You're not sure how something works? Well, rules are yours to create. Make it up. It's fiction. It's ok. That's what you're meant to do.

 

I would second @jannert that perhaps you need to just start. My current WiP has been a mix of planning and pantsing. I have the plot and main characters, but haven't figured out all the details. And things will just suddenly come to me as I'm writing, things I probably never would have worked out if I had focused on just planning alone. I do spend a lot of time daydreaming, working through different permutations of scenes and orders of events, but there are some things I never quite figure it out until I'm literally at that decision point, pen in hand.

I'm a little perplexed by what you mean by this exactly. Clearly you must have something to at least start you off. What was the first seed of inspiration for your world, what are you really excited about? Not a question you need to answer here, but just something to think about. Perhaps that is the seed you need to grow your story and use as a foundation for developing outwards.

 

Start with the basics

 

I like to start with a want/desire a choice and conflict. I found that if I make my character too agreeable I get stuck. They don't have to have a full blown argument but it's like goals - two people could be hungry -- they have a common goal -- but maybe one wants tacos the other wants pizza and the mild conflict needs a solution. Both guys watch the hottest girl in their class stroll into Taco Bell and suddenly they both agree to tacos.
And I'm with ChickenFreak - sometimes writing a small scene can jumpstart a story. That's how I jumpstarted my WIP. I could not get past chapter 3? I think it was. I came across an old Britany Spears song which sparked a scene in my head I wrote it down and suddenly I just kept writing scene after scene for a month. Then I took them and wrote a first draft. Now I'm editing.
Also, I don't know if this is your trouble, but with fantasy it's super easy to get bogged down in a lot of worldbuilding details that actually don't form a plot and then you're stumped with what is actually going to take place in this world like what is my character after and what is he going to do. I actually found it easier to give the characters a plot and goals first and make up the world as I write. Like Mckk I'm more of a pantser with details like that.

 

Same here, every time.
I take a nugget of an idea, sit down and just write, sometimes it looks like it's going to be crap and turns out fine, other times it looks fine and turns out crappy. It's almost never wasted though, characters develop, ideas start to ferment, the plot thickens.
When all else fails; just write something.