When we get hit with the what happens next question, it can feel frustrating and it can also be very easy to assume you need to invent a new conflict or a brand new situation. And sometimes you do. But more often than not, the solution isn't about creating more. It's about using what already exists. Welcome to the Write It Scared podcast. I'm your host, Stacy Fraser, a formally repressed creative soul, turned fiction writer, story editor, and author accelerator certified fiction book coach. At Write It Scared, we tell the truth about why writing a novel is so hard by acknowledging that most writers grapple with two stories: the one they want to put on the page to the best of their ability, and the often subconscious internal story that prevents them from doing it. This show is designed to help you identify and rewrite the internal narrative holding you back while you discover and write the story you want to tell and learn all the tools to help you do that successfully. Join me each week for a new episode where we'll talk about writing to deepen our understanding of the craft and of ourselves as writers. Writing a novel is an inside job that we do not do alone. Welcome to Red It Scared. I'm glad you're here. Let's dive in. Hey writer, welcome back to the Write It Scared Podcast. I'm your host, Stacey Fraser. This is where we talk about the brave and the messy act of writing our novels so that we can do it with more clarity, more confidence, and not feel so alone. You have to excuse my voice. I'm a little bit sick with a cold. I gotta sound like a squeaky squirrel. Um, we've had a couple of really amazing guests on recently, and we have several more to go before the season wraps up. But it's been a while since you had a solo episode, and we're gonna talk some craft, and we're gonna talk about the problem that many of us face, which is what do you do when you don't know what happens next in your story? And I'm gonna give you some quick takeaways that you can apply to your drafting process or to revision. But before we dive in, I did want to take a quick moment to celebrate all the listeners who've submitted to the Courage Files. And if you're just tuning in and you don't know what the Courage Files are, let me tell you. In season four, which will start in September of 2026, I'm going to introduce a brand new segment to the podcast called The Courage Files. And this is about celebrating your writing wins. And I'm not necessarily talking about big, flashy ones like I got published or I finished my first draft or my revision or anything like that. Not that those aren't applicable, of course they are. But this is more about the small wins, the messy ones that are hard won, the quiet, brave moments that no one sees but you. This is about the times when you get up in the morning and you do not feel inspired to write, and you do it anyway. These are the moments where you asked for an hour to dedicate to your writing from your family members. And that's not something you would normally do. And the reason that I'm doing this is because one, it helps you celebrate those moments and celebrate the effort that you put forth. But also because one of the most powerful ways we move through doubt is by hearing how other writers are showing up right alongside of us. So if you've taken a courageous step in your writing life, no matter how big or small, I would love for you to share it with me. And with your permission, I'll be featuring some of those on the show. And starting in season four, I'll randomly select one submission per quarter to receive a free editorial assessment and book coaching session with me. So it's a win-win. I'm aware it's a big ask. It's a vulnerable ask. But you can do it anonymously, and you can also choose to not have your moment shared on the podcast. But remember, we're in this together, and that's the point. And I hope that that is what the Courage Files shows you and others. You can find the link to submit to the Courage Files in the show notes or go to writeitscared.co forward slash courage hyphen file. Okay, so let's talk about what to do when you don't know what happens next in your story. I've never met a writer who at one time or another hasn't struggled with this. Granted, I haven't met all of you. But most of us will come to a place in our story where we're like, uh, I have no idea what happens next. And you might you might know like the next big thing that's supposed to happen, the big plot point you need to write to. But how to get there from where you are is a mystery. It's kind of like somebody forgot to write down all the directions to that very important location. So if that's ever been the case for you, this will help. When we get hit with the what happens next question, it can feel frustrating and it can also be very easy to assume you need to invent a new conflict or a brand new situation. And sometimes you do, but more often than not, the solution isn't about creating more. It's about using what already exists. The answer you're looking for is almost always hidden in what just happened in the story. Stories work like falling dominoes. Now I know this is a super simplistic explanation, but it helps me. When you knock over the first domino, then the next one falls, and the next one, and it's a chain reaction. And the kinetic energy from one domino toppling over is transferred to another. So what this means in story terms is what happens next in your story should naturally grow from what came before. So if you're stuck, you might need to take a pause and a backward glance before you try to move forward. So these are the things you want to think about. Start with consequences. Ask yourself, in the previous scene that you wrote, what changed for the character? What decision did they make? What new problem did that decision create? What are the consequences of that moment? Remember, stories are about change, they're about a global change, and scenes are the many units that make up those changes, those incremental changes over the course of the narrative. And something should shift in every scene for your characters. They should have a new realization, make a choice, face a complication, maybe they have a loss or a victory. But once something changes, the character has to respond to that change. And that response often leads you to the next scene. Now, if you go back and read your previous scene and you go, nothing changed there, then oftentimes that is the problem. Sometimes the reason you're stuck isn't because the next moment is actually unclear. It's because the previous moment you wrote didn't create enough significant change for your character to react to. If a scene ends and nothing's different, no new decision was made, no new realization was formed, there's no new pressure, new consequence, or new goal, then there's nothing pushing the story forward. So at that point, it's helpful to go back and strengthen the cause and effect logic of the previous moments of the story or even the previous sections of scenes. In storytelling terms, we call this the because of that principle. The character is in pursuit of a goal, and because of that, they develop a plan and take action. And because they take action, then something else happens. And because that happens, then the next complication emerges, and then the next. But when that chain breaks or becomes a series of unlinked events, this happens, then this happens, then this happens, and so on, then the story stalls. The other thing that can help you is looking at the forces that are acting on your character or applying pressure to your character. So if you're trying to figure out what happens next, consider the pressures surrounding your protagonist and ask yourself, what is the antagonistic force in the story doing right now? What new pressure could it apply? How might this affect your protagonist? What action could it require them to take? Then think about the characters beyond your protagonist and your antagonist. Are those characters pursuing their own agendas? They should be. Should that create a response from your protagonist? Often the next step in the story comes from another character pushing, interrupting, demanding, or complicating things for the protagonist, specifically complicating their ability to get their goal. Remember, it takes more than one person to drive a story bus. Stories move forward through pressure, action, and response. So a simple rule of thumb, when you feel stuck in your draft, whether you're drafting or you're revising, the problem that you are facing rarely starts in the scene you're struggling to write. And the solution is usually found by looking back at the previous pages. So go back and reread what you wrote. Track what your character was wanting, what happened, what changed, and what consequences should logically follow. Very often, the next scene is already hiding somewhere in that information. Because once something changes in your story, remember your character has to react. And that reaction is where the story moves next. And then if you're still stuck after doing this reflection, looking back at the previous scenes exercise, try writing a messy reaction scene where the character processes what just happened. How do they feel about it emotionally, practically, or strategically? And often that can help you reveal the next direction. So for recap, when you get stuck and you're facing that, I'm not sure what happens next in my story, don't automatically think that you have to invent a new situation or new conflict. Instead, step back and reread what you wrote before, what came right before the moment you're trying to draft or revise. And often that is where you will find the solution to move you forward. Thanks so much for tuning in today. I'll be back next week with a new guest. Hopefully, my voice won't be so squeaky and cringy. But I appreciate you hanging in there, and I will see you next time. Thank you for listening to the Write It Scared podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, please make sure to hit the follow button so you never miss an episode. And please leave a review. Reviews help other writers like you find the voices and messages they need to hear to continue to write their stories. Let's lift each other up. Remember, you can be scared and still be unstoppable. I'll see you next week.