Einstein was noted for his science not his writing,but I think we can apply one of his key ideas when we are stuck with a story problem when writing a novel or screenplay.
Einstein said, “It is not that I am so smart, it is just that I stay with the problems longer.” He may have been excessively modest, but there is probably more than a grain of truth in the statement as well.
One thing Einstein did when stumped by a problem was to approach it from several different angles. We lesser thinkers tend to use the same approach over and over again, yet are surprised when we come up with the same answer (or no answer) each time.
The next time you find yourself stuck on a story problem, try devoting five minutes to answering each of the following questions:
- How would the writer you most admire approach this problem?
- What advice would you give a writer friend who was trying to solve this problem?
- How will things be different when this problem is solved? In other words, where does the story need to go? What could bring about that outcome?
- Once you have figured out what needs to happen at the stuck point, how can you go back in the story and lay the groundwork for that?
Jot down all your ideas without judging them. Put them aside for a little while and then go through them and see which one--or combination--might supply the breakthrough you need.
(There are lots more tips and techniques used by the top writers of all time, including Twin, Hemingway, Chekhov, Austen and many more, in my newest book, "Your Creative Writing Masterclass," published by Nicholas Brealey and avialable now from Amazon and other books sellers.)
