Hey all. I'm working on a VERY long story for an RPG. It's a little sci-fi, a little fantasy, a lot of action and drama, and evolves around a very detailed background mythos for the world that the characters live in. I have some awesome ideas as to how the charactes uncover secrets about the history of their world, and some awesome ideas for character development. The characters themselves are very cool, and each has their own unique personality. Even the less-important characters have unique features that will make them memorable to the player. In my opinion, once it is done, it has the potential to be on par with the depth and intrigue of Final Fantasy VII. My main problem is this; while I have many bits and pieces of the plot worked out, It doesn't connect. It's like "at one point they are here, and at another point, they are there" but there is nothing connecting the two. I have the worst writers block right now, coming up with "filler." And I don't want filler that SEEMS like filler; everything needs to be significant! What do you guys do when you run into writer's block like this? (In this case, it feels more like "writer's brick wall") Where do you guys get inspiration for the events that drive the plot from one impoirtant event to the next?

You could try and flesh out other parts of the stories world more, strike out in different directions to try and inspire yourself.

I work on multiple story lines simulteanously, and then as the storylines evolve, I create a set of connecting circumstances whereby the stories interact. This may involve something as simple as the same character appearing, perhaps the two storylines have a location they both taverse etc.

Example: Patricia Cornwell, novelist from Virginia, I just finished reading her book Trace. In it her protagonist Kay Scarpetta and sidelkick Marino return to Virginia where 10 years earlier, (and 2 novels ago) they were run out of town. The evil character in the book was actually first mentioned in her first book, Post Morten(?) ever so briefly and then later by description only in In Potters Field.

I have this same problem a lot, because I'm also hung up on everything being meaningful. I use two different techniques - I try to figure out what the basic underlying shape of my plot is and plug as many pieces of possible in to that shape. Then I try to find someone interested in the story, tell them as much beginning as I have figured out, and ask them what they want to see happen next. This is less arbitrary than it sounds; people can sense things you have foreshadowed and implied to happen next even when the writer can't sometimes, and also people familiar with the genre often have a good sense of the 'vocabulary of options' for what might happen next, and will pick one which seems the most fun to them.

I can't really think of a story or plot in which everything were significant, there will always be parts that will be unsignificant, I think that it has to be unsignificant parts otherwise the significant parts won't stand out and the reader will loose focus.

Obviously writing long stretches of fill text isn't very dynamic or recommendable, but keeping at a resonable level can lift a story some (at least in my world:)

Just my thoughts...

The best way to figure sh*t out when you haven't the answer (that's what this site was founded on :) ) is to look to others for help. In this case, I'm not talking about your nerdo ICQ buddies, I'm talking about the pros. Rent some movies (say like Memento or Fight Club or Seven Samurai or The Lord of the Rings trillogy), try to pick some that sort of apply to your genre or general flow of thinking or plot and just watch them. Take notes if you like. Watch good T.V. shows (there are very few), revisit lore and plot of your favorite games (you mentioned my favorite), or try just writing some poetry or getting some fresh air and walking around town. Hangout at a coffee place with some friends or just go out and talk to someone you don't know (hope they're cute). Stuff pops up all over the place! If all that doesn't work, try just stepping back and *life moral* don't try so damn hard. Things will come, and sometimes when you try to force them the become contorted, or fail to realize at all.

Anyway, hope that helped!

I take a drive and listen to music. I've done most of my world-developing on my commutes to and from work, I just write down what I thuoght up when I get to my destination.

Writer's block just needs relaxation and time to work around. Take the focus off of trying to figure out one aspect of the story, or just stop thinking about the story entirely for a bit. Most of the time, if I'm stuck in story development or interconnection, I'll skip to a different element of the story and start working on that. Half the time I think up something that helps me explain alternate concepts and unrelated elements.

Otherwise I'd suggest talking it out in your head. Come up with a couple (this is key: never zone in on your first idea in case something better could come along) broad reasons "why" something happens, and then start to invent details specific to your characters or world that fill in the broad pattern.

And never be afraid to change it, in part or in whole. Often times all aspects of art can suffer from the creator getting too wrapped up in what THEY see to realize that they've lost the general public along the way and the vision never becomes shared.

Dont make it totally significant, the reason I think FF7 is particularly good is the ample amount of comic relief jabbed in between the significance. How about letting the characters take a breather whilst jumping from one twist to another. An alternative would be a distraction, let the characters believe that a certain person is the criminal and let them go on a wild goose chase before finding out that it was all for nothing, yet that wild goose chase would result in them arriving in that final, significant predicament, bridging the gap.

Yeah, what Morkai1 said, just relax. And remember the best work is gonna take a long long while. Try to think about why X would kill Y, and the past behind it, if you get what I mean. Writers block is an evil bane, but the antidotes to it, are many and simple, take a drive, go subway, take a walk, stroke your cat, feed your snake, all of these and more!:) I'd be delighted to see your story when its finished, so remember to post here when you're done. Farewell, for now, BTownTKD.

I know exactly how you feel. I'm still trying to get my two main characters out of an inn to kill a queen!!

Do you want to swap stories? maybe we'll each think of something that the other can use?