Writer's Block Is the Result of Not Knowing the True Purpose of a Story

This is a tale of encountering the inevitable boss fight that is writer’s block and what tool I’ve equipped so that, when I face it again, I put it down quickly. I came out of the gate pretty hot once I committed to writing fiction again and partnered up with my writing coach, Cat. I had a new idea that I couldn’t shake and she loved the concept once I ran it by her. Boom. Forward we write.

A rough outline was put together using a basic template and covered things like the protagonist, antagonist, inciting event, etc. Looking back at it, it was pretty evident I was going to run into a significant roadblock if I didn’t flesh things out in a big way. Nevertheless, I linked my coach to the doc and awaited her assessment. Cat took a look at what bits of the first draft I was able to put together and asked me a few things that could be summed up in one crucial question I couldn’t answer: What’s the point? I stammered over a few things that ultimately boiled down to interesting events I wanted to write, but I didn’t come away with a plan to move the tale beyond my current stopping point.

My story was missing the rail that really makes it go.

The next week I took a look back at the outline but, before doing so, I thought about Lisa Cron’s concept of the “Third Rail".” She detailed this idea in her book Story Genius. I’ve not finished the book but, after knockout a few chapters sometime last year, the “Third Rail” stuck with me. It’s called such because Lisa likens it to the third rail on a subway train, which is the electrified rail that drives the cars forward.

“Without it, that train, no matter how well constructed, just sits there, idling in neutral, annoying everyone, especially at rush hour,” she says.

You’ll want to head to your local library or book store to get a copy and get a full understanding of Lisa’s approach (this is merely one aspect of Story Genius), but this is what I took away as the core idea:

What is the protagonist’s internal struggle? What do you want the message to be when the last word is read? What is the heart and/or point of this story?

These words are at the very top of my outline template and will be for any stories I work on going forward. My writing process is evolving as I take in different tips and learn more about my own motivations but this is one thing that really excited me once I got a better understanding of it. She points out that many manuscripts are rejected by publishers and even readers because they lack that third rail and…I can empathize. I looked back over my story and I could feel how empty it was. When I returned to the outline for the short I submitted to Cat, I didn’t have a third rail at all. I had an inciting event, multiple settings, a curious lead, and mysterious antagonist. I had absolutely nothing bringing it all to life, though.

To really drive the point home here, my story didn’t just come together or start making sense when I filled in the new top section of the outline. The story changed entirely. Every little note that seemed to serenade Cat and me before pales in comparison to the fully fleshed out outline that I put together once I figured out my lead character’s motivation. Sitting down to figure her motivation out drew me closer to who this lead even is in the first place.

I’m being literal with the sitting down to figure her out part too. I’ve often thought to myself that I’ll go about my regular routine with my story ideas rolling around in the back of my head, expecting them to come together. No. I left my apartment and took my laptop to a hookah cafe, looked over the original idea, and focused on the story. It took about an hour or so before it clicked but, once it did, the rest flowed onto the page. The short isn’t finished but I’m more than prepared to put it down. I have the beginning, middle, and a couple versions of the ending. I just have to write it all out and figure out which way I want to wrap it up.

Every story I write deserves my full focus. Relegating them to the back of my mind is an insult to myself, the story, and potential readers.

I imagine that, as I continue to improve my skills as a storyteller, I’ll start to consume stories more…completely and efficiently? I suppose those are the right words. When I’m reading books, playing games, or watching movies and TV, I’m going to try to figure out what the Third Rail is in each work. Stay tuned for the progress on that front and all other fronts in this wonderful journey.