Jump Start

I need one in the worst way.

You may (or may not) have noticed that the word meter on my latest WIP has not moved a single bit. I have the first couple of paragraphs written of the opening scene. I have my characters. I have about three plot points I want to hit before I get to the end, where there will be an HEA (because this is romance!). But I’m having trouble getting going. I wrote those first few paragraphs when the idea struck, typed them out quickly and emailed them to myself. But that’s all. I’ve barely even written any notes. And the few times I have, the story has gone off the rails in a direction that I didn’t want it to. Somewhere that’s out of character for my MCs.

Normally, I’d say that’s what the characters want and I’d roll with it. But it’s not. Nor is it what I want from the story. So I have to back up again and refocus.

I have this feeling like the story is just out of reach. That if I could just get into the groove of it, then the rest of it would unfold before me. If I could just get going, I’d be okay. Seth and his pretty man would commence falling in love in the way that was right for them and not by falling into all the tropes and cliches along the way.

Side note: there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with tropes and cliches. At all. Cliches are cliches because they are true; tropes are popular because people LIKE them. (Me included!) I have no problem with tropes and cliches. What I’m actively avoiding is my brain’s sudden need to throw a bunch of them in together. Seriously, one or two are enough for a story, thanks.

So anyway, yeah. I need the jump start to get going. I need the thing that’s going to drive the story. Once I can get going, then I’ll be okay. (Or at least, I’ll have a different set of problems that come with telling a story) But until then I’m actively thinking while I go about all the other things in my life and trying to find that one thing, that scene, that thought, that is going to jump start this story and get the engine revving.