this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2026
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When You're Stuck, Where Do You Turn? (beehaw.org)
submitted 2 weeks ago by its_me_xiphos@beehaw.org to c/writing@beehaw.org
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Lately my memoir is just stuck. I've hit a difficult chapter on failure and poor decisions I'd rather not face. Reaching into the darkest recesses of my memory, at a time of renewed struggle, has not been easy.

Usually, I've bounced between two works when I find the words are not coming. Stephen King's On Writing and Thriving as a Graduate Writer. The former, fun for me, practical, direct. The later a foray into academic writing with editing tips applicable anywhere. I also try a long walk or a deep podcast like Radiolab or This American Life for inspiration. Nothing seems to work for this hurdle.

So, where do you go and what do you reach for when the words just won't come?

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[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 1 points 2 weeks ago

One other thing I'd suggest is letting all your reactions since that period out for some air before determining the angle you're coming from for the final product. Twenty was my first annus horribilis, and as time has stretched, my memories of it and attitudes thereto have shifted over the years. But those reactions are also canon in a sense, and it can be hard to cleave out everything between experience and present day.