The Ol' Ball and Chain

Are you wed to some of the elements in your story? And are you stuck because of it? Have you thought about throwing all rules and judgment and presupositions out the window (in other words, your darlings) and really shaking up your story a bit?

Elements in your script are moving parts; you are the writer so if suddenly your modern romcom becomes a Western action story - that's up to you. I know that sounds absurd but sometimes throwing out things you were wed to can invite in all sorts of fresh ideas. Don't let your script become a ball and chain - nobody says it HAS to be the genre it is. Or set where it is.

Here are some ideas to unstuck you when you're stuck.

Genre: read your premise aloud and suddenly imagine it's a:
Western
Science Fiction
RomCom
Psychological Thriller
Horror

Does imagining your story as a different genre suddenly suggest new directions in the premise? Does it make it more original or compelling? It might.

Time Period: Why does your story take place in the present? What about:
The Civil War
The 1950s, 60s or 70s
The Gilded Age
The near future
The distant future

Does setting the story during a different era help you imagine different obstacles and creative choices?

Location: Instead of where the story is currently set how about:
Mississippi
Alaska
Manhattan
South Dakota
Europe
The Bahamas
Portland, Oregon
Portland, Maine
Mexico

Does a different backdrop make you think of setpieces and scenes that you wouldn't have before? How about ancillary characters or even your antagonist? People are pretty different in Alaska than in Mississippi. Think of the local customs, rituals and traditions of each different setting. Can you exploit them?

Dramatic Backdrop: What happened right before or right after your story began?
Is this a romcom set three days before the 1986 World Series in which Bill Buckner blew it?
Is this one week before Katrina? Or a week after?
How about the assassination of JFK?
Would a natural disaster in a far away country affect your main character's choices or moods? How about if they had been in the Peace Corps in that particular country?
What if the Olympics are about to start? Winter or Summer? Is it on the tv in the background of your story? Or is your character hoping to go? Are there sports metaphors you can use?
Does an impending presidential election fill the airwaves with campaign speeches and billboards?

Narrative: Are you being too traditional in your storyline?
Is the end of your story actually the beginning?
Should you tell your narrative in order or mix it up?
Is the middle the end?
Does the whole thing start too early? Or too late?
Is there a different way in to this story?
Is this story actually more interesting told from the POV of the antagonist?

Character: Is your main character really that compelling?
Is your main character the opposite gender? Try it out. Make her a him.
Is your main character ten years older or younger?
Married rather than single? Divorced and not married?
Is your main character a different race or religion than you currently have on the page?
How would that change their point of view, actions and judgments?
Would things get way more compelling if your main character were your antagonist?
What if your antagonist is really your main character? Try it out. Think about it.

In other words, shifting genre, main characters, time periods and events surrounding your story can suddenly shed new light. Don’t be afraid to click different elements in and out of place. I have literally seen writers emerge from a brainstorming session completely excited because when they did this exercise they suddenly got it –the thing that was missing – because they were able to throw everything out the window and just spitball their story and characters until something that had never occurred to them before suddenly made perfect sense.

So if you’re stuck, roll up your sleeves, take a deep breath and simply mess with your story. Ask it all kinds of questions. Go big. And you might just find the solution – and inspiration – to get you unstuck. Do it with a sense of playfulness because never forget, Wavers, this is supposed to be fun. We’re making up stories here, people, not solving prison over-crowding. So let loose with that imagination – don’t be backed into a corner because you won't give yourself permission to change up some of the elements in your story.

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