Revising the revision

Last week, I got a long list of notes from my agent re: my recent MS revision. Like, 20 pages. Of notes.
It was awesome (and also a wee bit embarrassing that she had to do that! *red face*)
Her suggestions and questions were just what I needed to go through the plot and extract all those pesky rabbit holes, unnecessary words and characters.
And I came up with a quick test to see how well the resulting chapters held together.

A chapter table.

This is not a revolutionary idea. I think Save The Cat asks writers to do something similar. A table makes it really easy to see which chapters are pulling their weight and which ones are holes.

Here's how mine worked: I created a table with a column for each chapter's synopsis. Then I indicated which part of the synopsis moved which part of the plots along.

love interest
main plot
subplot/red herring

Chapter 12:  Carrie and Grant kiss, they discover the magic portal, the elven king is there first


Every chapter should include at least one element -  the main plotline if nothing else - and preferably two elements. Chapters without any plot movement must be examined carefully. Can they be removed/shortened/edited to include a plotline? This method also allows a quick check of the main plot's timing: are all the clues in order? Is there a lot of main plot bold leading up to the climax? Did any thread of subplot go unresolved?

This is also an easy way to stay organized if you have CPs or betas because they, too, can refer to your chapter table rather than giving intext comments. It's a way to give feedback on the overall flow/pacing.

What are some ways you make sure your revisions are on track?

STUCK and writer's block

So this WIP I'm working on...is kicking my butt. I got to 65K and realized I was about to step off the plot map and start wandering in the woods.  I don't like the woods. They scare me - pointless, scrambling in the dark with no end in sight. The most recent chapter has me teetering, rewriting, revisiting where this story must end.

And part of my problem is the ending is hard. My poor MC doesn't get everything her heart desires. All her sacrificing, self-denial and sheer hard work doesn't get her THE dream. She must decide whether her desire is worth everything she has...and then some. That even if she doesn't grab that brass ring, the journey will still have been worth it. (And no, she's not a writer. *grin*)

On the one hand: more sacrifice, more training, more loneliness and stress but with the hope that she'll someday make her dreams come true.
On the other hand: a re-entry into normal life with friends and family around her. Sometimes it takes more strength to let go than to keep on a road blocked with dead-ends.

I have no idea which she'll choose. Which means that, while the plot arc is resolved, there's no happy-resolution-ending.  I'm stuck. And it's driving me crazy. Some would say I'm suffering writer's block.

But I don't think so. All the possibilities - and my own inadequacies as a writer - are just choking me right now. My brain craves space and distance...neither of which I'm able to get on a daily basis. I've decided I need to walk away from this WIP for a while due to several factors.

The school year is in full swing. My mind is filled with my students - how to reach them, how to teach them, how to give them what they need in the classroom every day. Right now it feels like all my creativity is leaking onto lesson plans. There's very little space in my head left for my invisible minions.

What do you do when you're stuck? What are some ways you block reality to get "in the zone"?