Not Writer's Block, Writer's Fear Maybe?

Stirling

Tonight I sat down to write an important scene in my novel and was struck down by some sort of block. It's the death scene I mentioned on another thread, and even though I know what happens I'm struggling to find the words.

I don't know why this has happened, except that I feel overwhelmed by a feeling of fear. Not mine, it seems to be coming from the character. It's as though he doesn't want to let her go, doesn't want me to kill off the love of his life.

Has anyone experienced these kind of blocks? How do you get over this?

Carol

This is probably one for Dorothy.

Rosalie

Yes, I know what you mean. It's good - it means you are feeling your characters' emotions. That can only improve your writing.

Don't resist it. Write a bit at a time, as much as you can bear. If you can, incorporate those fears into your writing. Work slowly and give yourself plenty of breaks. You'll get there and it will be worth it.

Dudess

What is supposed to happen after this particular scene? Can you write this and work backwards?

Stirling

I could, but I really feel like I want to get this out.

Maybe I could write a bit at a time and work on the next chapter which is from a different pov.

I thought the same Carol. I know she's dreading the ending of her book on Charles I. I was wondering how she deals with it.

aeschylus

Stirling

You know what happens, so it doesn't frighten you.

The character doesn't, so it frightens him.

What frightens you is the thought of not being able to live his fear enough to do justice to it.

So, just tune in to his character. Pretend you're playing Mozart. The music will take over.

ceka

That's a quotable and very beautiful way of putting it, Aeschylus.

Kangaroo

Goodluck Stirling. I like the way you wrote that Aeschylus. :-)

Stirling

Very insightful too. Looking back he's is a character very much filled with fear.

Dwight

I wonder if it would help you to explore the issue of loss, in bereavement, Stirling? A bit of meditation with a pen and paper, to isolate the essence of your character's fear.

I might be on the wrong tack here, but you are right in aiming to write it in bits: writing it down is the main thing, eventually to be improved on your re-writes. And who knows, one 'bit' might extend into a good long section if you are feeling you have really got your characters going.

dorothyd

How do I cope with death scenes, line by line. Literally line by line. If we do a paragraph, it's celebration time. My book on Daniel, a concentration camp victim (one day, one day it will be out there, he assures me) was SO horrendous that the current torture/death scenes are a mere walk in the park. If you can imagine a German Jew's life being worse BEFORE the concentration camp ... I got those scenes thrown at me about 3 seconds before I went to sleep, wrote them up the next day, with tears pouring down my face, then waited for the next. One time he took five months to get back to me with the next scene ... they were horrendous, absolutely horrendous.

Characters take on a life of their own. Let the person tell their story line by line. It will work if you don't push them too hard.

I am dreading Charles' ending. Every death is personal, which is why it annoys me so much when it is dismissed in history books: 'XXX was executed'. It's as if they say: let's ignore the gut wrenching horror of walking out to your death, the whole 'this is my last drink, my last walk, my last breath...' The Earl wrote in his ballad "willing to die." I told him it was a lie and he admitted it was. Henry welcomed death, it was a comforter to someone very ill. Others fought it and fight it even now. Charles' was particularly poignant and that is going to be hard on our emotions.

Stirling

I felt that when I was studying the Civil War last semester.

Thank you for the advice Dorothy.