#1 [url]

May 6 07 3:05 AM

Lyssa, have you tried the "what if" game?

Usually, my characters act out my story for me and I just write it down, record what they're doing or saying. But sometimes, when things stop working, when there's a story snag, they stand there with their arms crossed looking at me, waiting for me to give them direction.

When I hit a point like that, where it's not working, I stop writing and begin "what if"ing. I come up with boring stuff, with wild stuff, with stupid stuff, it really doesn't matter, I just write down whatever comes to me. Like, "What if (character name) dies," or "What if (character name) finds some gold," "What if the family leaves for another country," etc.

And suddenly, an answer to "what if" will come to me that I just know is the right one, and it will steer my story in the right direction.