23 March 2007

Breaking Down the Mental Block

I'm in the first stage of writing my story for the third book of my Warring Hearts trilogy – Light in a Hollow Place. The second book is being released May 11 – Fragments of Light, so I need to complete my third book for a May 2008 release. This means I have to send my story to the editor by September.

I've been struggling coming up with the plot for months. For some reason, nothing really excited me. It takes place during World War II, towards the end of war. I love my characters, so that wasn't the problem. Since it's a romance, Richard and Claire have to be together in most of the chapters. And, that was the rub. He's an intelligence officer working in Europe and she's a struggling artist living in New York.

I needed help. On my vacation last week, between walking along the ocean, dining out, and shopping, I forced my sisters to brainstorm with me. We had a great time coming up with outlandish ideas and ridiculous plots, but out of all of this craziness, my oldest sister hit the jackpot. She gave me the one idea I needed to jumpstart my enthusiasm.

So, my question for today is: what tricks do you use to break down the mental block preventing you from beginning your story?
Vicki - http://www.vickigaia.com