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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/33112
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/33112
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

### What you need is inspiration - try throwing a coin

The problem is that you only have the start - but not the end. Without knowing where you want to go it will be hard to flesh out the middle part where most things happen.

One option would be to get a feeling for what your idea for the story is like and then go and read stuff that feels similar. For example: if you currently feel like the best comparison would be the _Hunger Games_ then go and read the _Hunger Games_ and try to listen to what your heart says at certain points.

Do you like where the story is headed? If so: why? And if not: why not?

This is basically an old trick for when you can't make up your mind about a decision. _Should I buy this new car?_ for example. You take a coin and assign _Yes_ to _Heads_ and _No_ to _Tails_. Then you throw the coin and see what comes up.

But: you don't blindly follow chance. The moment you see the result you will feel _something_. Maybe it feels good - that means your subconcious wanted you to choose this all along and now you've got confirmation, so this is what you really wanted all along and you should go ahead and do it. Maybe it feels wrong - then your subconcious wants something else. And now you know what your subconcious does not want.

In any case you will now know what you want, no matter which side came up.

You can do this with your book, too. If reading stories you've read before is not what you like you can try the following:

- Sketch your current plot, characters, ... in a couple of paragraphs as your "Chapter 1 Outline"
- Sketch one idea that springs to mind - something you remembered from stories you've read for example. Something that feels obvious, or even unoriginal. Or maybe something that feels so original, you are not sure if it won't alienate people. It doesn't matter. This is your "Chapter 2 Outline - Number 1"
- Sketch another chapter 2. Something different. Maybe the exact opposite of your first idea. Or maybe something slightly different that you came up with while writing the first draft. Again, this doesn't need to be "great" or anything - it's just important to have an idea. This is your "Chapter 2 Outline - Number 2"
- Throw a coin and see whether you like the result. 
- If you have more ideas take a dice instead.
- Continue until you are at an end. 

You will probably rewrite most of the stuff anyway at some point while fleshing out your chapters, but this way you have an idea and a fast method to continue when you get stuck. And whenever you don't feel like something is right, put it aside, but keep it, and continue from a point that does feel right.

Original score: 5