Writing yourself into a corner...

[Steppe]

I should also add I do this all the time on purpose.
Writing your self into a corner is a very good thing.
It's like playing a video game you design yourself there's always a way out.

[J. T. SHEA]

What did Raymond Chandler recommend? A man with a gun bursting in the door? A dead blonde on the bed? A dead blonde with a gun bursting in the door? A zombie? Bed optional.

[BlancheKing]

Haha. I'm suddenly inspired to use a plot wheel... go!

[polymath]

A rule of thumb I've seen espoused is any given narrative is entitled to one coincidence as early as possible in the timeline. One definition of a climax is when all salient information is known. When outcome is most in doubt and antagonism forces are in greatest opposition are also definitions of a climax, ideally all three. Depicting a coincidence late in a story then might not be a best practice. Might be a deus ex machina.

Fortunately, Checkov's gun provides a method for prepositioning to defuse a coincidence. The inverse postulate of Checkov's gun: if there's a gun fired in the third act, it better be introduced in the first act. The impact of a prepositioned gun is its menace poses a suspense question artfully delayed in answering. What will happen with the gun? Foreshadowing is pretty much the same thing, prepositioning context that will be available later for timely dramatic effect.

[Wolfe3141]

Is it sad then that I already have an outline?

I tried taking this one author's advice: know some of the beginning, some of the middle, and all of the end. The problem is that the middle got lost in a stream of events that are only important later. It's like chauffeuring a friend to the airport. When the character's scheduled to be at point B, I have no idea how to get him out of point A and to point B because he'd somehow managed to build a house without doors.

LOL!!! I think some of my characters have joined yours in that new house building technique! Why do they do that to us? For me I think they are doing it so they don't have to move on to what is in store for them thru the actions they have chosen. They don't like lying in the bed they made either. Buggers!

Most of my characters were created completely and fleshed out because I've played them. I am one of those geeks that like table top role-playing games. I have a book that helps me flesh out a character with ideas and personality. Even shoe size! Then I put her in my world and with the help of a friend we run her thru the story line. My friend helps by either being in charge of the character or being in charge of the setting and together we get her from point a to b and when we come across any problems we end up talking them thru until they make sense as to how they got out of that house with no doors.

Not sure that will help you any.

[xouba]

People tend to love outlines or hate outlines. The only time I ever got stuck is when I didn't outline. I strongly suggest outlining.

That cheers me up. I've always got stuck, and now I'm (slowly) outlining. I hope to get something done this time.

I have had an easier time bringing people to compromises on things like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or creationism-versus-evolution.

Creationism? I can't believe there can be even a debate about it.

[xouba]

Something that helps me write myself out of corners is to focus on the character's motivation.

So very true! The more I (try to) write, the more I feel it's all about characters. Things don't happen out of thin air, they happen because someone (or something; but a meteor hitting the Earth is also a character, isn't it?) makes them happen. And knowing your characters, what they want and what they will do to get it, is the key to know what's going to happen.

Sorry if I sound like I'm digressing. I can't really articulate it properly, but what you said rang true on my experience.

Another thing is to think about what the point of the scene is. What does the reader need to learn about the plot or characters?
Sometimes knowing what you as a writer need to accomplish in a given scene helps you figure out how to move the characters through it.

True again. There are the things that characters want, and then what you, as a writer, want to say to your audience. Your message, so to speak. In my case and my current WIP, it's not yet very clear; but it's something about the rules of life that you can't avoid, and the consequences if you do. I think it's fatalism, but I'm not very sure on the meaning.

So ... well, I simply agree with all that you said. A pity it's not so easy putting it into practice :-)

[Margo]

Creationism? I can't believe there can be even a debate about it.

I live in an area trapped inside a temporal bubble that has placed it somewhere in the 1950's: McCarthyism and ultra-far right conservative values, where anyone of any importance must attend a particular mega-church and their children are used to recruit new members through social pressure (I can't play with you; you're family doesn't go to my church. But if you and your parents come to church with us next Sunday...). Our "proudest" moment was a protest where two children grabbed a sign out of the hands of a more moderate minister and ripped it up while our good citizens accosted him and our mayor and a member of our Board of Supervisors screamed at him to go back where he came from. I'm pretty sure this is where he's from.

Don't let anyone tell you that California is all a bunch of commie liberals.

[J. T. SHEA]

Sounds like good material for a novel, Margot:-

'Stand back, you Neanderthals!' Margot shouted, defying the congregation/mob. 'Or I'll put you in my book!'

They don't stand back, of course. So you do put them in your book. And then they burn it. Think of the free publicity! Even more so if they burn you too. Though that is going a bit far even for a career author...

(Imaginary Margot uses the word 'Neanderthal' figuratively in the above example. Infallible science teaches us that the Neanderthals all died out thousands of years ago.)

[BlancheKing]

Haha @ the California comment... though as a Californian beach bum, I'd have to say there's some truth in that XD

[Margo]

'Stand back, you Neanderthals!' Margot shouted, defying the congregation/mob. 'Or I'll put you in my book!'

HA! I actually do have a tee shirt that says: CAREFUL OR YOU'LL END UP IN MY NOVEL.

I get many many strange looks when I wear that in public. It's sooooo true; I do mine the more interesting personalities for character attributes.

[Margo]

Haha @ the California comment... though as a Californian beach bum, I'd have to say there's some truth in that XD

Yes, we do have a great variety of people in Cali. In very broad generalities, however, the coastal areas and the extreme northern and southern areas are more cosmopolitan and liberal while the interior valley is more agricultural (25% of the nation's food) and conservative. Chewy on the outside, crunchy on the inside! (Yum, says the dragon.) ;P

[BlancheKing]

'Stand back, you Neanderthals!' Margot shouted, defying the congregation/mob. 'Or I'll put you in my book!'

HA! I actually do have a tee shirt that says: CAREFUL OR YOU'LL END UP IN MY NOVEL.

I get many many strange looks when I wear that in public. It's sooooo true; I do mine the more interesting personalities for character attributes.

Heheh... anyone actually meet with that fate? Loads of my dorm-mates did.