I used to teach a quilting workshop with my co-author Ann Anastasio called “There’s a Quilt In There Somewhere.” We had our students bring fabric they loved but couldn’t use to the class, and everyone would get a chance to offer suggestions on patterns, other fabrics to include, and embellishments. I mentioned this to a writer friend, who thought it would be fun to adapt this technique for authors stuck with a plot that looks like a tangled skein of yarn or characters who are similar to a jigsaw puzzle with a piece or two missing. The workshop would be something between a critique group and a brainstorming session.
I am in two critique groups, and both of them have served as sounding boards when I’ve become stuck, but not everyone is so fortunate and not every group can afford to spend the time on just one person’s work. There is probably a clever person out there who can create a workbook that would mimic this kind of groupthink. If so, more power to you (and if you’ve already published such a book, let me know). For the rest of us, I suggest we circle a date on the calendar, grab our best writing buddies and the thought lubricant of choice (chocolate, coffee, beer, nachos), and rip into those projects that are vexing us. There’s a story in there somewhere, and you owe it to yourself to let it loose.