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So, I have this story that I'm currently just typing up the story-line at the moment, which is about 2/6 of the way though. I know where I want the story to go and how it's going to end, I just don't know how to get there.

Any tips?

(does this class as writer's block or something else?)

Okay, what I usually do in this situation is this:

I consider cause and effect.

Usually, 2/6th (or 1/3rd) into the story, some things have already happened, some people already did something. These actions and events now have consequences, and these consequences are appearing in the story now. That forces people to react to them, which in turn has consequences of its own, and so on, until the story's going somewhere you want it to go. And from that point, you start with the finale.

If you have no idea where to go, just go with the flow. It usually leads somewhere, though not necessarily where you originally thought it would. (It got one of my main characters in a story killed, which I really hadn't intended to do, but this character's death suddenly wrapped up everything so nicely I went with it.)

You can try seeing where the story naturally takes you from where you are and see where you can go from there. If it still feels forced getting from there to where you want it to go, maybe you should consider some changes?

Stories tend to evolve as you write them, and some writers, no matter how much they try, can predict everything that is going to happen in their own works. Only when you write it, and are in the middle of the scenario you have painted, will you see how things can naturally proceed. Don't throw away your plot chart (or whatever you are following) though, as you may find a use for something else in it later.

That, or just use a huge twist to get where you wanted to be. Give the readers some time to cool off after that and then proceed as usual. If done right, the shock will add value.

Try freewriting--just write whatever comes to mind and then work out how you can use it in your story. I would also recommend stepping back from your story for a few days and then coming back to it.

Try using a set of photographs to inspire you to write scenes.
Take a break from writing, having someone to proofread maybe, and then go over your whole script trying to imrpove.
Make sure your characters personalities are fully developed and you have a sense of what's going to happen in your story.
Make sure you have a good backstory.
And never give up!

Make sure you use an outline to lay out the story, preferably before you start writing it. That way you will avoid writer's block like this where you don't know what will happen. They say that the beginning and the end are easiest to write, but the complexities of the story are difficult to remember. There is plenty of info on the internet about writing a story outline and it's a major help.

SundownKid wrote:Make sure you use an outline to lay out the story, preferably before you start writing it.

Outline of the story is a great way of tracking your progress. And outlining can divide your story to smaller pieces. Working on those outline is much easier than writing a story as a whole story. It's more organized and more efficient this way.

Caveat Lector wrote:Try freewriting--just write whatever comes to mind and then work out how you can use it in your story. I would also recommend stepping back from your story for a few days and then coming back to it.

I agree to this. But I think it works much better if you have an outline. Freewriting is sometimes risky since you are not writing your story in one sitting. You may cause some inconsistency in your story if you slips off in your main story. Outline can provide you with boundary so that if one part of your story messed up, you can change that part, not the whole story.

I think writing 2 hours a day can keep you moving since the story is always fresh in your mind.