Well, I *was* stuck for a middle. A middle of the plot for "House of Many Doors." I've written about 1/3 of the story and had a clear idea of how the story ended, but I hit a writing wall. I just couldn't get from here to there. And it was driving me mad.
So I took a big step back and worked on some other projects for a few weeks and woke up with the 'hook' and characters for a new novel. (Working title: Heal Thyself, genre: fantasy) I knew that taking the pressure off myself regarding "Doors" would help, as frustrating as it was to be stalled.
A change of scenery (family holiday visiting dear friends in Oregon) helped. I spent one evening the old fashioned way--pen in hand--and wrote out a precis of the plot events in the book thus far. Then I rewrote the novel's 'hook' and read it to my friend Amanda. She asked the right questions and helped me hone in on what was not working. Then she gave me a 'what if' that made all the pieces suddenly fall into place and the middle of the story revealed itself.
Writing is, by its very nature, a solitary enterprise, but it's too easy to be tunnel visioned because of that. I am grateful beyond words for the love and support of friends and family. They make the writing possible.
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