Why Facing the Unthinkable Head-On May Be the Secret to Your Survival
Ever found yourself knee-deep in your screenplay, staring at a blank page like it owes you money, wondering if the plot is just a cruel joke? Yeah, been there. Writing a story isn’t a neat little stroll with a clear map—it’s more like wandering through a dense forest, occasionally tripping over your own plot holes and characters that behave like strangers at a party. You might have an outline, or maybe you’re flying blind, hoping the story reveals itself as you go. Either way, moments of utter confusion will slap you sideways, tempting you to throw in the towel. But here’s the kicker—quitting doesn’t erase that ghost of a story lurking in your mind; it just haunts you. The real magic? You have to push through the fog—the doubt, the plot twists, the hard pages banging against your keyboard—because the only way out…is through. Ready to soldier on and unlock the truth hidden inside your tale? LEARN MORE
Imagine the process of writing a story as being a journey. Perhaps as you embark on your adventure, you have a map — an outline or beat sheet.
Or maybe you don’t, plunging into your story in order to find it along the way.
In either case, it’s almost certain that you will reach points in the writing process where you will feel lost.
The plot isn’t working like you thought it would.
Your characters feel remote and confusing.
Your scenes don’t seem to be working.
Your map or instincts become a labyrinth.
Basically you are left to ponder, “What the hell was I thinking?”
That’s when you are tempted to give up.
Don’t.
Giving up doesn’t get you out, rather it only allows you to avoid story — or so you think. It still exists. And by quitting, you create a shadow, your story as unfulfilled potential looming over you like a ghost.
No, the only way out is through.
You have to push yourself through your feelings of doubt. Push yourself through the ambiguities of your plot. Push yourself through the hard work of pounding out pages.
Rather than quitting, take the opposite approach: Go deeper into your story. To paraphrase The X-Files, the truth is in there!
If you go through the process, you will find your way out.
This sentiment appears in the poem “Servant of Servants” by Robert Frost:
Len says one steady pull more ought to do it.
He says the best way out is always through.
And I agree to that, or in so far
As that I can see no way out but through —
Leastways for me — and then they’ll be convinced.
Every journey has its twists and turns. You may not be able to see where you’re heading around the next turn, but the fact is there is a path.
That path is your story. Keep following it. Stay the course because…
The only way out is through.
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