Thank you to the awesome IWSG co-hosts this month: Ronel Janse van Vuuren,Natalie Aguirre,Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen, and Olga Godim!
I’ll skip this month’s question since I don’t know much about the publishing industry. Instead, I’ll focus on my work-in-progress. My novel doesn’t fit into any genre I know. Maybe I’ll just call it a trauma drama.
I’m about three-fourths done with the story, which alternates chapters between a male swim coach and a female psychologist. I’ve known the character arc for the hero since I started the novel over a year ago, but the heroine’s journey is less clear. I’m trying to structure the plot as crisscrossed narratives–as his trauma heals, hers is just starting. But creeping doubts and perfectionism have led me to feel a bit stuck. Since the coach’s therapy involves challenging beliefs that have kept him mired in the past (“stuck points”), my feeling seems ironic.
While writing this post, I experienced an insight. Maybe I know the hero’s path so well because I tread it every day with therapy clients. The indomitable human spirit’s potential to recover is my main inspiration for writing the story. But the horror leading up to a trauma is (thank God) less familiar to me. And maybe it’s tough to go full-throttle with torturing my heroine since we have the same career.
I just need to keep butt in chair and continue writing. One bonus is that I decided to stop working my psychologist job on Fridays, freeing up more time to create and resolve conflict for my characters.
Thank you for listening, support group! How do you get unstuck when you’re not sure which direction to write?
Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 65,500 / ~85,000 words
Jennifer Lane Books 
Hi,
Intrigued by the concept of alternating chapters, and I enjoy this approach in those otherwise daunting 19th century novels. I’ve just finished re-reading The Woman In White. – in which several narrators works so well.
Don’t know much about publishing, and my only ever agent died a few years ago – skirmishes with three of the Big Five ( Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin/RH) were stressful, demanding, didn’t lead to any contracts. Random House wanted me to writeb something I couldn’t – It would have mirrored, far too closely, ongoing trauma for a close neighbour. Today, after a few years of IWSG, hope I would have told RH exactly why I couldn’t write it – first, my character wouldn’t do what they wanted , All kinds of other actions – not that. Secondly, what if they published something so close to a friend’s devastating experience? .
Currently in the final stages of a rewrite, very rough indeedc draft was 16, 500, – now 90,000. Never understand how people manage to write massive airport/beach books. – people keep finding me so much else to do,
Esther
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Hi, Esther, I started writing first-person POV alternating chapters with a New Adult series in 2014, and I got hooked on that format. It seems to keep the story fresh, and it’s fun to explore the narrative from different perspectives. It’s tough to wrangle our characters sometimes. I’m highlighting a trauma therapy in this novel that can be so effective that I believe everyone can recover from trauma. But that would be tough to write something so painful and close to your own life. Good luck on your rewrite!
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Good luck getting unstuck. Right now I feel like about 10 chapters in the middle of my manuscript are sagging. I’ve just been thinking about how to fix it for a few months and plan to schedule a session with my critique partners before I rewrite some of them. Maybe, discuss your concerns with your critique group.
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Thank you, Natalie–I do plan to pick my CP’s brain on the next steps in the plot. May your 10 chapters go from sagging to soaring!
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Maybe there are others in your profession who have experienced what your heroine is going through and they could get you insights?
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Interesting thought, Alex! 🙂
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I’m wishing you huge success and lots of cheese!
When I get stuck, I switch it up — go do some real living for a minute, with actual people. That, or I put on music. Or have an epic brain-storm session with a friend or myself or recently (but don’t tell anyone this) AI. You’ve got this — you know you do.
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Music, friends, and real life are all great muses, and I also have a great CP to guide me. Thanks, Crystal!
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I may be wrong, but you write Sports Romance, so that’s your main genre/brand. The best trauma romance I’ve read recently is Nalini Singh’s “Caressed by Ice”. When I get stuck, I remind myself of my genre/brand and then I find a book in that genre (in this case romance) with an element in it that I’m writing about and read it. Sometimes, this helps loosen things up and I get an AHA! moment or just a “what if?”. I hope this helps 🙂
Ronel visiting for IWSG day Unethical Publishing Industry Practices 2025
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Great advice to connect with a favorite book in a similar genre, Ronel. I’ve heard good things about Nalini Singh, though I don’t tend to read paranormal romance. You remembered correctly that I write sports romance. I think my difficulty with this story and genre is that it’s NOT a romance–a departure for me. But with all the IWSG support, I’ll figure it out!
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Good luck! Switching genre can be difficult. I think there are Danielle Steel novels that aren’t romances but deal with trauma you might find helpful — I haven’t read her work in over a decade, so I only remember The Ghost and The Klone and I, neither I think can help.
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Yes, Ronel! I remember reading a Danielle Steel novel (Thurston House?) in my teenage years, and the rape scene slayed me. I cried buckets. I’m also re-reading The Prince of Tides, a powerful story about healing from trauma. Thanks for the recommendation.
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I entered “Sports Fiction” under the book category in Amazon and got quite a list. No doubt you’d be able to narrow it down further. My short cut to find genre(s) for my stories. 🙂
My thoughts on the therapist, is put her in counselling as well. It could show how deeply committed she is and how to do her job well she has to put some personal things like dealing with trauma aside.
Anna from elements of emaginette
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Sports fiction is a good idea, Anna. Narrowing it down to swimming stories or swimming fiction will help market, too.
My psychologist character definitely needs therapy! One reason she’s dealing with her own building trauma is that she has avoided going to therapy in the past. Thanks for validating my plot plans. 🙂
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I’m with you on how hard it is to make your protagonist suffer. I can see how your job would give you a wealth of insight and material for writing. That’s one of my favorite parts of writing is analyzing my characters and why they are doing what they’re doing.
Have you ever read Story Genuis? I think that book is brilliant for figuring out character arc.
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I’ve never heard of that book, Jenni, but I added it to my Goodreads TBR. Looks interesting–thank you.
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Hi,
Just one question. You’ve probably already done it, but have you written an in depth Character profile on your protagonist? Maybe do a interview with her to uncover her deepest dislikes and like.
Take care.
Shalom shalom
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Hi, Pat. Thanks for the solid idea! I have written character notes, but I could dive deeper into her background and personality.
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I’m late to this party, but here goes.
I’m a total wimp when it comes to making my characters suffer adequately. Such a softie! When I’m stuck, I usually go for a walk. Or a hike. Sometimes I just keep writing in hopes than an idea will arrive, but honestly, going and doing something physical is more likely to help!
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I think walking or hiking is a great suggestion–that cerebral blood flow from exercise gets my devious writer brain going. After I posted this in early August, I’ve had some great conversations with my critique partner, Nicki Elson, and I planned out the rest of the story. Now must get butt in chair.
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