What writer hasn’t felt like banging their head against the wall because of writer’s block? And there is always that one scene that just doesn’t seem to work the way you wish it would. Thanks to YWP Participant Anastasia for giving us a few tips to get through that dreaded scene! For more articles like this, explore the NaNoWriMo blog!

Writing is not easy. While it is not that hard to imagine something in your mind, turning it into words and presenting it as a whole can be a challenging task. Sometimes even though you know what you need to write, you completely lose any motivation to actually do so. Those tricky scenes you don't want to touch or those important moments that need your undivided attention can be put off for a long time. So, what can you do to actually get to writing them? Here are some helpful tips.

1. Stop and rethink.

If you can't for the life of you write the scene, no matter how hard you try, most likely the problem is not you, but the scene itself. Of course, it looks so good in your head, but often, the way we imagine things is not the way we write them. Sometimes they turn out to be over-complicated or they just don't fit for your writing style. What exactly bothers you when writing it? What is it you are failing to do? It is important to pause and think about the problem.

2. Change.

Even if the problem is actually your procrastination, changing the scene often helps to change your perception of it. You can change something not relevant to the plot, like the weather or a character's clothes, or something bigger, like the setting of the scene and adding (or removing) certain characters from it. Did it change for better or for worse? Why? Remember that any alteration you make is reversible, the change is only to help you get a fresh outlook.

3. Skip it.

Why, what can be easier than to forget that that one scene should be written and just move on with the story, assuming it already happened? Concentrating too much on that one scene gives it too much power. Your story is bigger than that. Write ahead - maybe only a few paragraphs, maybe a whole chapter. Then come back and read it as a whole. What is the best way to tie these two pieces together and fill the blank space?

4. Move.

You know yourself that this scene is different, so why not write it somewhere special? Changing the environment in an unusual way can help you concentrate. You can’t bail on writing when you put so much effort into even getting to the place, right? After all, this is your favorite coffee shop, library or park. You can’t let them down, so might as well do it.

5. Get the craziest idea. Add it in.

It's more of a writing exercise than an actual tip, but it helps you to understand both the scene and the characters better. Interrupt the scene. Make your heroes do something out of their character. What changed? What didn't?

We all get tough moments with our writing sometimes. Keep up the good work! It will all be worth it in the end.

Anastasia is a fifteen-year-old who lives in Ukraine, and writing and reading were her first hobbies. Reading is what essentially drove her to all my other passions, so she have a soft spot for it. Writing a book one day has always been her dream, but she did not have the support she needed. Finding out about writing communities such as NaNoWriMo has been a big step for her and changed the way she looks at writing. Typically, she writes short stories, but this year she is planning to write my first novel.