When you’re absolutely stuck in a scene, write one of the characters in it yelling: “Makin’ pancakes! Makin’ bacon pancakes!” Then give yourself just a few minutes to write all the other characters reacting appropriately, as though that had genuinely just happened in their reality.
—–
“Why are you so unfriendly?’ said Boromir. ‘I am a true man, neither
thief nor tracker. I need your Ring: that you know now; but I give you
my word that I do not desire to keep it. Will you not at least let me
make trial of my plan? Lend me the Ring!““No! No!” cried Frodo. “Makin’ pancakes! Makin’ bacon pancakes!”
“It is by our own folly that the Enemy will defeat us,” cried Boromir. “This is no time to take bacon and put it in a pancake! How it angers me! Fool! Obstinate fool!”
—–
And then erase the goofy stuff and go back to where you were, hopefully slightly refreshed.
This is a shorter variation on Steven Brust’s trick for when he’s stuck on a major plot point. He writes a scene in which all the characters get together and have a meal, at which they bitch about their situation, about possible solutions, and about what a jerk their author is. When the characters have agreed upon a course of action, Steve deletes the meal scene and has them enact whatever decisions were made in it.
Oh Christ, the meal trick. I’m filing that one away.
Professional Stupid Writer Tricks
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Kimchi and Justice 