Hello!

Happy November to you all! It’s round about this time of year that I blink at the calendar and wonder how this has happened yet again. But I’m not done with 2026 yet. I’ve still got some more exciting things to share which are nearly ready – keep your eyes open. And I still have some writing work of my own to finish off before I put the year to bed. (For more on what I’m writing right now, behind-the-scenes insights, and exclusive bonus material, sign up to my readers newsletter.

RESOURCES - Unsticking Your Story

Have you ever been in the middle of writing a story and then suddenly – out of nowhere – everything grounds to a halt? Your character just seems to freeze and the whole story gets stuck. With some of my more chatty characters, I will often find one of them saying to themselves or another character (but yeah, we all know it’s aimed at me): “Well, now what do we do?”

When you reach this point, it can be immensely frustrating, especially if the story has been flowing well up until then. There can be multiple reasons why this has happened, but here are some things you can try to help resolve the problem.

1. Check when your character last made an active choice.

Is the story character-led? Stories aren’t always – sometimes they are plot-led or writer-led. Many are character-led and these focus on what your protagonist wants and needs so when a scenario occurs which allows them a choice (even if it’s between a rock and a hard place), they choose which makes the most sense to them, deal with any consequences, and so the story rolls on and the process repeats. When did you character last make an active choice? The more passive protagonists are, the easier it can be for them to become stuck, as they are not actively taking the way that would make sense to them. Try giving them a little more free rein.

2. Check focus on conflicts – internal and external. When was there last a conflict-related beat?

Go back through the plot and try and figure out where things started going wrong. An easy way to do this is to check when there was last a conflict-related beat in the story. This could be the external conflict (what they actually want, what their main goal is for the story) or the internal conflict (what they need for their personal development to level up). Back-tracking to where you think the story started going in the wrong direction can help. Can you change or narrow the choices your character can make, while making sure there is still something relevant to the overall main conflicts?

3. Weigh up options – what would offer the ‘most’ right now?

As you’re thinking about these choices, keep in mind which option might offer the most potential for the genre and tone of the story as a whole, and this moment in particular. For example, what would be the most dramatic choice? Or comedic? Or emotional? Is that the best fit for this point in the story structure? Have a play.

4. Add something new

If your protagonist is running out of steam, then try adding something new into the mix to inject some energy. What happens if you add a new problem? Or increase the stakes somehow? Or perhaps you could introduce a new character to liven things up, throw a spanner in the works, offer a different perspective or just shift the gear of the story a little. Understand exactly why you think this move might be the best option. This will help prevent your story from feeling too random, fragmented or convenient.

5. Try involving the antagonist or antagonistic force more.

Also consider what the antagonist or antagonistic force is doing right now. Could they be more engaged with your protagonist, or making life harder for them? Might they be forcing your protagonist’s hand in some way? If your main character is on the back foot, could the antagonist be moving forward, with a greater sense of purpose and escalation? How could the antagonist or antagonistic action help narrow down or ‘force’ the choices your protagonist can make?

CHARACTER CORNER

We often talk about back story and flashbacks in writing, and I’m a big believer in considering character in the context of them having had a life before the story begins (unless, of course, they have been born at the start of or during the story itself).

But what about looking forwards? When the story ends, what do your characters do next? This to me is a real treat, although I know I won’t always love what I see. It can be hugely rewarding to spend a bit of time just thinking about what happens after the book closes. How do those relationship arcs continue to develop? What adventures do the characters go on to have? How do they continue to grow and change throughout their lifespan, like we all do? If they are young characters, what are they like when they’re older? What does their future look like?

Thinking about our characters’ futures can sometimes give us a little insight into something that could be seeded or written slightly differently in our here-and-now-story. It might just guide us into bringing some depth to a relationship, or the things our characters notice. Even if our readers never see what comes next, they might still ponder about it as they reach the story’s end. And thinking about the future can bring extra nuance, believability and authenticity to the characters and create more reader engagement with the story. So, why not flash forward from time to time and have a sneaky peek at what you think your characters did next?

WRITING COURSES & EVENTS

A big THANK YOU to everyone who joined me for the Chapter Book Weekend and Understanding Antagonism Part 1 course recently. It was lovely to work with you all! I was trying very hard to squeeze in Understanding Antagonism Part 2 in November, but unfortunately time is against me.

Please keep your eyes open for this in the New Year, where we will take a deep dive into the psychology of the main antagonist.

***LAST CALL***

Writing Fantasy, 2^nd, 9^th & 16^th November

A big thank you to everyone who has already signed up. This starts on MONDAY 2^nd NOVEMBER. If you’d like to join us for three fun, fantastical weeks delving into magical stories, please check out:
Writing for Children: Fantasy and Magic (3wks) Tickets, Monday 2 November  •  7 PM - 8 PM GMT | Eventbrite

This will be my last course for the year! It’s been a pleasure to work with you all. There are many exciting courses and events planned for 2027 so please do make sure you follow me on Eventbrite to hear about them first. Find me at: Amy Sparkes

FUNDRAISING EVENT

I am a passionate supporter of charities, and pleased to use my writing and writing knowledge to help benefit others. From time to time, I run fundraising webinars where all money raised (after the Eventbrite fee has been deducted from ticket sales) goes to a charity.

This time around, I’m offering a webinar on How to Approach and Handle Rejection as A Writer to raise funds for Storybook Dads, a fantastic charity that helps fathers in prison keep in touch with their children through the magic of storytelling. It’s a wonderful charity and I’m delighted to support them. You can find out more about them here: Storybook Dads

Rejection as a writer is HARD! It can really hurt, especially when you have poured so much time, energy and love into your work. In this fundraising session, we will be looking at:

• What rejection is telling you

• The inevitability of rejection in writing

• Different types of rejection

• When to keep going and when to hit pause

• How to balance a sensitive heart with a thick skin

• Tips and tricks to develop resilience

There will also be an opportunity to take part in a Q&A at the end of the session.

The session will be recorded and sent out to everyone who signs up. The recording will be available for a limited time.

Tickets: £10 plus Eventbrite admin fee

Please do join me if you can and help raise funds for this important charity that can make a real difference to families.
Story Godmother Fundraiser: Approaching and Handling Rejection As A Writer Tickets, Thursday, November 19  •  7 PM - 8 PM GMT | Eventbrite

STORY GODMOTHER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY 2026 CELEBRATION

As a thank you for being part of the Story Godmother community, please do join me on Thursday 3^rd December, 7pm to celebrate your writing and stories in 2026, set goals for 2027, win free courses and coaching sessions, and raise a glass/mug to storytelling. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions to help you as we head for 2027.

Book your space here – it’s absolutely free: Story Godmother Subscribers Exclusive: 2026 Celebration! Tickets, Thursday, December 3  •  7 PM - 8:30 PM GMT | Eventbrite

This event is for newsletter subscribers only. If you know any writers who would like to come along, please do nudge them to sign up to the newsletter in plenty of time before the event: The StoryGodmother • Buttondown

MSH MENTORING PROJECT 2027

I’m delighted to be able to announce the MSH (Make Stuff Happen) Mentoring Project. In 2027, I’ll be looking to work with 4 writers from groups typically under-represented in traditional publishing. I’m sending out a separate email about this next week with all the information, so please do look out for this if you’re interested.

COMPETITIONS

WRITING MAGAZINE CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE

The competition is now closed! A big thank you and congratulations to everyone who entered! We will now begin the epic and challenging task of creating a longlist from all the wonderful entries. I’m not sure when we will be announcing the longlist but we shall do so as soon as possible! Keep your eyes open for information in the newsletter and my website: www.storygodmother.co.uk

COACHING COMPETITION

Anyone fancy a FREE 30-minute coaching session? Another one is up for grabs this month, with the intention of helping coaching become accessible to all. The session is worth £30 and the winner is chosen via a lucky draw.

If you want to enter, please email [email protected] with COACHING 1.10.26 in the title. All entries must be received by Wednesday 4th November 23:59GMT. I will contact the winner directly, so if you haven’t heard anything, please assume you’ve not won, but do try again next time!

STORY GODMOTHER WRITING COMMUNITY

And finally, the usual reminder: Do you use Facebook? Great – join the Story Godmother Writing Community on Facebook. It’s a free, private and friendly group, where writers can share encouragement, thoughts or interesting finds. I also share weekly writing tips, and I’m there to answer any questions you have. Come and join us! Story Godmother Writing Community

It’s a private group and a friendly bunch – a safe space for you to grow as a writer. And it’s absolutely free.

If you request to join, please do make sure you answer the membership questions and agree to the group rules otherwise you cannot be admitted.

END NOTES

Have a lovely November and happy writing!

If you have suggestions of anything you’d like to see featured here in the Character Corner, Resources, or courses you’d enjoy, please do drop me a line at [email protected]

Happy writing, and speak to you soon!

Amy
Story Godmother
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