Stamina And The Genre Snob / Happenings In The Outhouse 23-Aug-2024

Today's post is going to be a bit out of the norm.  Then again, when is it never . . . ?

Last weekend, my wife, three of our girls, and myself went to the Twin Cities to attend two concerts: Friday night was Metallica and Saturday night was Green Day.  We had a blast, to put it mildly.  I may deep dive into these concerts at a later time, but I want to touch on two things this week.  The first is stamina.

Green Day played, non-stop, for roughly two and a half hours.  With very few breaks.  And what breaks they did take were a few seconds at max.  They kept playing and playing and playing . . . to the point where I became exhausted.

Green Day has an enormous catalog of songs to choose from, and they played many of them.  Last year during the Bryan Adams concert, there were so many he played that I forgot that he even sang them.  Metallica also has an enormous catalog of songs.

What does this mean for the writer?  Simple: keep writing.  Ten years ago, I had written five full length novels and maybe a handful of short stories.  Now, I have over 60 individual stories, from novels to short stories and even a few flash fiction.  I keep going.

The second is what I am calling the genre snob.  The last song Green Day played was "Good Riddance (Time of your Life)".  After the concert, I overheard someone saying they didn't like the song and that it was outside of their genre--hence the reason they did not like it.

The genre snob isn't limited to musicians.  Take Stephen King and John Grisham.  King is known for horror, yet some of his better books are the ones that are not horror.  Grisham is known for his legal thrillers, and his better books are not in that genre.  It's okay to step out of the genre you're in.  Even reading the Wikipedia page on the Green Day song "Good Riddance" they note that the song was outside of the other songs.

Yet it is one song they are best known for.

Multitasking / Happenings In The Outhouse 15-April-2022

Multitasking.

Even just the word "multitasking" can bring a wide range of emotions.  But define what it is?  Is it doing many things in a single day?  Or doing several different things in a single lifetime?

John Grisham has done well with his legal thrillers, but he has also written other stories which has broadened his audience.  King has done the same with horror.

And I could go on and on.

Brandon Sanderson may be known for writing a lot of fantasy, but he has dipped his toes in many different realms in the fantasy genre, and with an insane output of words to boot.  He recently had an impressively successful Kickstarter where he wrote a bunch of secret stories while slated by contract to write another tome in his Stormlight Archive series.  And not just one, but four!

This might be an area we'll explore more later on.  The point of this is based from a TED talk I watched where the speaker gave examples of multitasking but this was over a person's lifetime.  I find it okay to do several different types of things, to spread out your talents.

Again, it depends on what your definition of multitasking is.

Writing Is A Dish Best Done Daily / Happenings In The Outhouse 05-March-2021

Most writing advice is individualized, and is thereby crappy advice.

But there is one simple piece of advice (and this goes for most anything) is to make a habit of doing something daily.

Yes, even writing.

I'm in the middle of reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (yes, all fourteen books plus a prequel novel) and in looking at the publication dates, that man had an impressive writing output.  Another fantasy author I admire is Brandon Sanderson.  He can churn out the novel behemoths at regular intervals.  Yes, I'm still waiting on a few other fantasy novelists to finish their series . . . Martin?

What does this mean to me?  For the past month or so, I've had a few setbacks, which has eaten into my writing time.  And because of it, I find myself taking longer to get back into the story.  This could be the reason why George R. R. Martin is taking so long with finishing his monumental series, simply because he has written other things in the meantime.

I'm not comparing myself to Martin by any stretch of the means, but when you're busy with other obligations or distractions, it's harder to get back into the story.  I've had to go back to the beginning of my latest novel three or four times now to re-read the whole damn thing--I've enjoyed reading it, but for crying out loud I just want to finish it.

The same goes with exercise or any other habit.  Do something daily.  Even in little drips.  You'd be amazed at what you can accomplish.

What Does A Break Look Like To You And Your Art / Happenings In The Outhouse 14-July-2017

Here's the scenario: you've worked on your manuscript for months and months, and have finally finished it.  You lean back, both exhausted and relieved.  You may even be a little apprehensive and scared.  It's your baby.  It's not quite ready for the world, in your mind.  How long do you wait before tackling any rewrites/edits?

Stephen King has advised to put your manuscript away for a minimum of six weeks before looking at it again.  Dean Wesley Smith doesn't rewrite at all (he has a circular writing technique that is very clever and I want to give a shot at on future projects).  In fact, Smith doesn't even look at the manuscript again unless his wife Kris tells him to fix a few things.

Where do you fit in?

Brandon Sanderson, between his enormous epic fantasy novels, writes shorter books.  I think I read once that Stephen King does the same thing with his novels, but don't quote me on that.

What does taking a break look like to you?  In the past, I've read much more than usual.  It's something I call "recharging my batteries," because I feel like I haven't read as much as I should (which is probably not the case) and I love reading new things.

I'm working on the edits for books 2 and 3 of the Shadowkill trilogy.  It's going well, much better than I anticipated.  And, of course, I'm looking to see what I should work on next.

Stay tuned . . . the future is very exciting . . .

"We'll never see this again in our lifetime" / Happenings In The Outhouse 25-Dec-2015

 

"We'll never see this again in our lifetime."

 

I heard this mantra last week when it was predicted that Star Wars: The Force Awakens would smash box office records in a way that will never be seen again in our lifetimes.  Funny thing is, I've heard this before.  Several times, in fact.

I'm in my early 40s and have lived through several of these so-called "never see again" eras.

"Oh, we'll never see as prolific a writer as Stephen King."

"There will never be as prolific a writer as J. K. Rowling."

"The success of Harry Potter will never be matched.  Ever."

"(Fill in the blank) will be the biggest Marvel movie ever."

I am utterly disgusted by the notion that there will never, EVER, be something better than what has currently been created.  Here is a list, from Wikipedia, on the highest grossing films of all time.  It's impressive how many were created within the last few years.

Do not get sucked into the mantra that there will never be anything as good as what has already been created.  I remember reading an article about this concerning the massive success Stephen King in the early 1990s.  Then, a scribbler from Mississippi had his second novel made into a movie . . . starring Tom Cruise.  The Firm was the name of the book and movie.  The author?  John Grisham.

And let's not forget J. K. Rowling and her "tiny" book series called Harry Potter.

I could go on and on.  Brandon Sanderson.  Andy Weir.  The Hunger Games.

Are we forgetting about Peter Jackson's theatrical trilogy version of The Hobbit?

Every time I hear the "never again" mantra I shake my head.  And so should you.  Because the "next big thing" is always right around the corner.

Happenings In The Outhouse 25-Apr-2014 / A free alternative

I've seen Brandon Sanderson do it.

I've also seen James Patterson do it.

And they aren't the only ones.

In my last post, I ripped pretty hard on the whole "free book" marketing technique.  However, there is an alternative I could get behind--besides sampling, that is.  And it is this: offer a larger sample (say 15-20 chapters) for free.  It gives readers a little bigger bite of your story to chew, and at the end, for your call to action, you can direct them to your website, your blog, your author page, or a link to sign up to be on your mailing list.

And, of course, don't forget to have a link so they can purchase the entire book.

I know you still run the risk of readers still not reading the book--I have a pile of free sample chapters by Mr. Patterson I haven't read yet.

Once again, it depends on your marketing plan and writing goals.

Rome wasn't built in a day. So don't treat your writing career like it should be.

Stephen King didn't stop with The Shining, his first hard cover bestseller.

J. K. Rowling didn't stop with the first Harry Potter books.

John Grisham didn't stop with The Firm.

Brandon Sanderson didn't stop with the Mistborn trilogy.

George R. R. Martin didn't stop with Game of Thrones.

All of these bestselling authors (and many more) did one thing in common: they wrote more books.

Of course, there are runaways successes like Harper Lee, William Peter Blatty, and J. D. Salinger who wrote one book (or two in the case of Blatty and four for Salinger) and quit.  These are not the norm for most authors who want to have a successful writing career.

Write more books.

Rome wasn't built in a day.  I look back at my blog and am astonished at how long I've been doing this.  I also look back at when I wrote some of my previous (unpublished) books and wonder what in the world I've been doing.

I am in this for the long haul.  I will be writing, and publishing, more books.

Don't treat your writing career anything less than the building of Rome.  It may be slow, but keep writing.

The world needs you.

Learn the publishing business from a bestselling author

I'm sure we've all read Stephen King's On Writing and have also read numerous books on the craft.  But what if you could watch a bestselling author actually teach the nuts-and-bolts of writing AND the publishing side from a business perspective.

Have no fear!  Brandon Sanderson is here!

For those few who may not know, Brandon finished off Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time series after Mr. Jordan's untimely death years ago.  He is also an accomplished fantasy author on his own series, starting with the Stormlight Archives Book 1: The Way of Kings--I highly recommend it for those fantasy lovers out there.

Brandon is also a college professor, and on a video series at Write About Dragons.com, you get to see him in action.  There are two such video series, one from 2012 and one from 2013.  There are 13 lessons on each, and he covers a variety of topics.

Check out the YouTube channel: Write About Dragons.  I can't recommend it enough.  For help with brainstorming ideas, writing first drafts, editing, and even various aspects of the publishing business, you get it all here.

What is your writing strength?

In several interviews I've read or listened to from Brandon Sanderson, he says his writing strength are epic novels--not short stories.  He has a new novellas out in the market, but that's about as short as he likes to get.  He doesn't even try short stories because he knows he's not good at them.

Last week during our tri-weekly writers group meeting, the other member told me her strength is in writing short pieces--250-300 word shorts.  This is great for her to realize, and now she's on a plan to start down the path towards collecting these pieces and self-publishing them.

Are short stories your thing?

How about 75K word novels?

Epic novels that topple 200K easily?

Flash fiction?

If you're unsure, try writing in as many veins as possible to find out where your niche lies.  Maybe it's all of the above.   Whatever it is, write to your strength.

Why don't we hear about the failed stories?

Carrie wasn't the first book Stephen King published.  It was, in fact, his third--that is, if you don't count all of the others.

Because I'm sure there were.

How about all of the stories Tom Clancy wrote before Hunt for Red October?  Or the stories J. K. Rowling wrote before she came upon Harry Potter?  A Time to Kill I'm sure wasn't John Grisham's very first attempt at a book.

Why is it we never hear about the trunks of failed stories our favorite writer has stored in their attic?  The ones they wrote before they were published?

We only hear about the successes.  And, because of it, everyone thinks you need just one book to put you on the map to publication.  I don't know how many times I've heard, "If I can just write this one book, I'll be set for life."  Not true.

Brandon Sanderson, acclaimed bestselling fantasy author, has publically stated that he wrote 12 novels before he was ever published--that's impressive, dude!  And do you know what he was doing with those 12 novels?  Learning.

Learning the craft of writing by . . . well, writing.

And that's what all of the other writers were doing too.

So write and fail.  And keep failing.  Because at least you're doing something.  Then, one day, when your skills are honed like a razor-sharp knife, you will be ready . . . and published.

Happenings In The Outhouse 19-Jul-2013 / Podcast hiatus

It wasn't until recently that I realized just how many podcasts I listen to--that number near the 20 mark.  Some I just started listening to in the past month or so while others I've been listening to for the past few years.  Some I download from the computer and put on my MP3 player (no, I do not own an iPod and I'm okay with that), and others I listen to on the Stitcher app on my android phone.

And now I'm about to say goodbye to several of them.  It may be a short period of time, but right now I have so much on my plate that I find I cannot fit the time for all of them.  Instead of listening to podcasts in the car, I spend my daily drive to work and brainstorm stories.  The same with chores, like washing dishes or mowing the lawn.

I need a break.

Because I also realized many of the podcasts weren't helping me on my writing.  A few I will still listen to on a regular basis, and that number is around a half-dozen.

I'm working on the finalized edits for Beholder's Eye.  I also am still working on the hard edits for a horror novel I wrote years ago.

I'm also participating in the Write About Dragons.com 2013 summer lecture series by Brandon Sanderson--this is the main reason I'm holding back on the podcasts, for I want to learn a lot from this master of the storytelling craft.

My ebook Guest of Honor is available on the Amazon Kindle store.  For the price of a cheap cup of coffee, you can buy and enjoy my book.  It also has a short story and a chapter excerpt too for Beholder's Eye.

Happenings In The Outhouse 12-Jul-2013 / Busy times

Busy times abound!

Between writing and a recent surgery for my wife, I have to say, "Life sure ain't boring!"

First and foremost, my wife has been having eye complications since around October 2011.  Lately, though, they have gotten worse as she developed an ulcer in her eye.  Long story short, Tuesday this week she had a partial cornea transplant--she's still in pain, but it will subside and she'll be able to see better.  This all stems--no pun intended--from her stem cell transplant on September 1, 2011 to help cure her Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Fingers crossed, she's still in remission . . . and on the road to improved health.

For writing, I'm literally in the middle of three writing projects.  I am working on the final-final edits to Beholder's Eye.  The main edits were done late last year, but I re-read it again as well as had a beta reader go through it, and I'm fixing a few minor mistakes.  Other than that, I'll good with it.  I'll still wait for the small press to finish looking at it, and if they pass on it . . . well, then it's off to the Kindle store!

Next is the major revision of a . . . horror novel, a small-time zombie apocalyptic novel I wrote years ago and am completely re-writing it.  I'm only on the first three chapters, and so far they're turning out great.

Lastly is the online class I'm participating in by Brandon Sanderson on the Write About Dragons.com site, and it's the 2013 Summer Class.  It's great fun, and so far I'm learning a lot.

And of course, I have to mention that my novelette Guest of Honor is available on the Kindle store for $1.99.  It's a suspenseful thriller that crosses the lines of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the serial killer Ed Gein.  Please pick it up by clicking on this link, and when you get a moment, I'd be grateful if you'd write a review.

Happenings In The Outhouse 28-Jun-2013 / Moving forward

I'm crossing my fingers.  I've never submitted anything to a small press before, but a few days ago I did.  Beholder's Eye (well, the first two chapters and a synopsis) are in the hands of a great small press, one that publishes a lot of horror and thriller novels.

It's a long shot, I know.  But at least I'm giving it a shot.  If it doesn't work out, I'll just self-publish it like I did with Guest of Honor.

No, I will not share the name of the small press.

I'm also participating in Brandon Sanderson's 2013 Summer writing class, to be seen online at Write About Dragons.com.  Originally, I had an idea for a new series of stories, but at the last minute decided against it because the idea needs a lot more brainstorming.  Instead, I'm taking the prologue to a fantasy epic novel I wrote years ago and am writing the story behind it.  It's something I've always wanted to tackle, and felt that at this time I should do so.

I'm also nearing the end of my inspirational novelette--oh, I am so close word-count wise to being a novelette.

I have a lot going on.  I'm moving forward.

What are you doing to move yourself forward in your life?

Happenings In The Outhouse 21-Jun-2013 / Anniversary!

For over sixteen years, I've had a reason to write.  Prior to having met "the reason" I wrote because I wanted to make money.  It was for selfish reasons, but everything clicked into place once I met this person.  Let me share:

Cute, isn't she?  Yes, I mean the one on the left--not the doofus on the right.

Today is our sixteenth wedding anniversary.  Two years ago, I almost lost her to AML: Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  We're still not out of the water, even though she's still in remission.  It's at least a five year wait before we know for certain.  This week has been extremely difficult because she's been having problems with her eyes and had surgery on one of them.  I won't go into detail quite yet.

Just a quick recap, I'm over 11K on a new inspirational novella.  At least I'm hoping it gets past the 17,500-word novella mark.  As of now, it's in novelette length.  It's going much better than I hoped.

I'm also going to be sending off Beholder's Eye shortly to a small press who is open for submissions.  This small press does quite a bit of horror and thriller novels, so I'm going to at least give it a shot.

I also got my rejection letter from the Writers Of The Future contest for the quarter ending on April 1st.  It was the first time I entered the contest.  I wasn't expecting to even place.  I submitted another one a few weeks ago for this next quarter's contest ending July 1st.

I'm also contemplating what to do next.  I have a writing workshop led by Brandon Sanderson: Write About Dragons.com  It starts July 1st, and I have to do a little prep work prior to starting it.  I'm also brainstorming what to work on next.

If you could have dinner with a writer (living or dead), who would it be?

Copyblogger has a great segment of articles they call The Writer Files.  They've interviewed many writers, from Seth Godin to Jeff Goins.

One of the more interesting questions they ask is: what writers, living or dead, would they like to have dinner with?

Who would yours be?

Here's mine: it's a small list, with various pros and cons tied to it.

First and foremost at the top of my mind is Stephen King.  That's a no-brainer.  The King of Horror himself.  As long as we talk "shop" - i.e. writing.

Next would be Brandon Sanderson--fantasy author.  I've listened to enough podcasts and watched enough videos to give me a good sense of what he can teach, and then again he's teaching an upcoming class over at Write About Dragons.com next month.

That's all for the living authors--I know, it's a short list and I didn't even mention others such as J. K. Rowling or John Grisham.  Or even Dean Koontz.

The deceased authors, on the other hand, are a bit more interesting.

One such fellow is J. R. R. Tolkien.  Nothing more needs to be said there, do I?  Next would be John Gardner--his novel On Becoming A Novelist is a classic in my book, and a must-read for any author.

In the end, if I had to choose one, it would be the recluse J. D. Salinger.  Why?  He doesn't even write genre fiction, so why Salinger?

He is a master of dialogue, for one.  And his method of storytelling far exceeds most writers.  I'd just like to know how he approaches the craft of writing and even dialogue in general.  There's one such story he wrote--it wasn't Catcher--where we meet two characters conversing for over fifty pages, while one is in the bathtub.  And I was enthralled by it!  How in the world did he pull it off?

Ancient mysteries I'd like to know.

In the end, I'd set aside King (although if I really had to pick a living author, it might be his son Joe Hill) and Sanderson for the mighty Salinger.

Yeah, that's who I'd pick.

Who's yours?

Best way to improve your writing productivity

You've been slaving away for weeks, months, and in some cases years.  And now you've finally done it.  Your novel is done.  Complete.  The End.

Time for a grand celebration!  Fireworks galore!

Now what?  All of the experts say to put the book away for a while--the time may vary per writer.  Trust me, each one is different.  Some can start right back at chapter one, page one, and begin editing.  Others may let it sit in a drawer and marinate for 2-3 months.

If you're one of those waiters (raise your hand . . . go on, I know you're out there, lurking in the shadows.  Peek-a-boo, I see you.) then what should you work on next?

Another project.

When?

Right away.

Last week, on Friday May 31st, I finished the first draft of Shadowkill.  I took the weekend off from physically writing, except I did do a little outlining for my next project--an inspirational novelette or novella.

It's refreshing working on a smaller project between big ones.  Also, since this one is in a completely different genre than what I'm used to, it's challenging me just the same.  I currently have close to 3,500 words written, and I started it Monday.

Not bad.

The best way I know how to keep your writing productivity high is to write and keep writing.  When I'm nearing the end of one project, have the next one planned out.  There will be plenty of time for editing.

(yes, I did say I outlined my next project a little.  There's a reason behind it--David Farland and his ebook Million Dollar Outlines.  I highly suggest subscribing to his blog, where he gives daily writing tips that are absolutely invaluable.  I will cover more on my style of outlining in a future post.  I'm still not a have-to-put-every-single-detail-down-on-paper outliner, but I've discovered that I do a little.  I do have a novel that was completely written with no idea on the end, and I believe it turned out wonderful.)

Back to school (sort of)

What if you had the opportunity to take a creative writing class taught by a bestselling novelist?

Never fear, the time is now.  Brandon Sanderson--bestselling fantasy novelist who finished out the late Robert Jordon's Wheel of Time series and is at work on his own fantasy series called the Stormlight Archives--is teaching a writing class this summer, starting June 3rd through the end of September 2013.

If you just felt your wallet get lighter, you might want to either check the man who just ran into you because this class is . . . FREE!

Well, free in terms of monetary cost.  What it will cost you is your own determination and time to learn the writing skills that he's learned from other bestselling authors.  If you have ever wanted to become a writer, check it out.

Here is a link to the class, which starts June 3rd.

All of the information regarding the class is on the link, so be sure to check it out.

I am.

I am already registered.

There will be work involved, so don't say I didn't warn you.  Then again, if you're already a writer, aspiring towards publication, you know what work is and is not put off by it.

For an added bonus, on the same site is Brandon's 2012 class.  The link to it is here.

What I Listen To - Writing Excuses

This past September, when I started listening to podcasts on a regular basis, I searched around for fiction writing podcasts.  One of the first ones I jumped on was a weekly podcast called Writing Excuses.  The main reason for this was because of my love for fantasy novels, to see if there were any that I could listen to in order to give me a little insight into the publishing industry, and the first name to jump out at me was Brandon Sanderson, a best-selling fantasy novelist.

Writing Excuses is in their seventh season, and I can honestly say I've downloaded every single episode.  Their tagline is: "Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart."  Which is a total lie, because the four podcasters--all accomplished authors--are geniuses.  And one of the biggest pluses to listening to this podcast, aside from the wealth of information they provide, is that their podcasts really are about 15 minutes long.  Which is perfect for me as I manage my time.  For the first four or five seasons, it was just three podcasters, Brandon, Dan, and Howard, and they added one more to offer a unique perspective.

The four authors on this podcast are:

Brandon Sanderson - fantasy novelist, who finished out the Wheel of Time series due to Robert Jordan's untimely passing, as well as several of his own, including The Way Of Kings.

Dan Wells - horror novelist in the "I Am Not A Serial Killer" series, and has also expanded recently into sci-fi and fantasy.

Howard Tayler - cartoonist in the long-running webcomic "Schlock Mercenary."  And I do mean, long-running, for he started in June of 2000 and has not missed one single day ever since.  That's the pure definition of persistence.

Mary Robinette Kowal - historical fiction novelist, with her first Tor book Shades of Milk and Honey, as well as a professional puppeteer and voice actor.  Mary is the newest member of the podcast, coming in around season 4 or 5, I think.

All four blend such a unique perspective on the various aspects of fiction writing.  On occasion, they record when they are away at conventions and they also have guests on to explore other writing issues.

Here is a video taken at a convention, where someone is describing the podcast in front of Howard.  The best piece of advice on this is when Howard tells the guy he is a writer instead of aspiring one.

Here are two YouTube videos from two of their podcast sessions.  These would be from season 5, and the only one missing was Brandon Sanderson, although they do have a guest speaker: David Farland.

And, as they say at the end of each podcast: "You're out of excuses, now go write."

I will.

And you should to.

What if "writing what you know" doesn't get you anywhere

Let's face it, writing what you know is only short-sighting your writing career.

Sure, John Grisham was a lawyer, so it seems natural that most of his novels are in the legal thriller arena.  But not all of them.

Stephen King was, at one time, an English teacher.  Many of his characters are also.  But not all.

Anne Rice spends many of her weekends hanging around vampires and swapping stories--okay, that one's a little far-fetched, but you get what I mean.

I'm almost positive John Sanford--who is a pseudonym, besides--never worked as a hard-charging police investigator.

What about J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, Robert Jordan, and Brandon Sanderson?  Their fiction is largely in the fantasy world.  Can't use any of their "write what you know" there.

I think it should be rephrased to be "Write what you want to know" or even better yet is "Write what you love."  There's nothing with writing what you love to read.  In fact, it's strongly encouraged.

Okay, okay. You want to outline. Let me show you what other writers do.

As I've said before, I don't outline.

Depends on what you're definition of outlining is.  All writers do to a certain degree, even if it's all in a person's head.  I scribble a few notes on a  Post-It or in a notebook, but is that considered outlining?  To me, I envision outlining as writing down the most detailed events of your story, filling in the gaps here and there, before you ever start to write "Chapter One."  Not me.  Aside from those scribblings--and what's rolling around in my head--that's it.

Last year, when Ian Graham Leask was visiting our little library, he suggested outlining in this way: take a roll of butcher paper, spread it out across the table or the floor, and write out the various parts of your story.  Very clever.  I've even read about people taking a large piece of paper and free-writing the outline.  Thriller writer Jeffrey Deaver tells that he spends a lot of time, meticulously outlining his story, by writing down the various parts in an extremely organized fashion--reminds me of grade-school and we were asked to outline our essays with Roman numerals and such.

I recently listened to a podcast (www.writingexcuses.com) where Brandon Sanderson said he uses the document map feature for Microsoft Word.  To try this out for yourself, open your Word document and click on the "view" tab.  You'll actually have to write something but it categorizes it.  Let's say you have one heading for each character, and then various aspects of your worldbuilding, you can use the document map feature to jump down to that part of your outline.

I'm sure there are tons of other ways to outline that I haven't touched on.  Please share me your outlining methods, and if any of these above help, give it a try.  It's possible you're having problems starting your story and you need to outline a little to organize it.  Do it.

But most of all, write.  Write something.  Every single day.