Four ways to move your book project forward. How to push your book beyond the opening chapters
- Neil Mach
- Apr 19
- 4 min read
Is your book becoming a chore project? Is it still a raw project? How do you turn it into a phwoar project?
Writers often reach a stage in their writing projects where they feel bogged down, stuck, or simply unmotivated. Should this occur to you (and it’s bound to happen sooner-or-later), remember; it’s a typical situation. But what should you do when you get stuck? What steps can you take to reawaken your interest in the project and revitalize your creative juices? Here are four ways to move your book project forward.
Four strategies for moving your book project forward from stagnation point
1. Refer to your book statement. Did you write one to begin with?
Your book statement briefly explained the original motivations behind your story. Did you write one? The burning urge to write something important is sometimes described as “putting your heart to the page.” A lack of any compelling reason to commit your “heart to the page” might indicate that your story has always just been a writing exercise. Possibly, you’ve approached the project as if it were a classroom activity, or a fleeting wish (“one day I'll write a book”); a fanciful idea. If this is how your project started, and you're prepared to admit that it didn’t have of any profound impact on you when you began writing, it might be best to end it now and embark on a new project (this time with an accompanying book statement!) However, if you (find) found that drafting or editing your book statement is (was) simple, then tap into the genuine sincerity that fuelled your earliest motivations... this will reignite your passion for the project and help propel you on to complete the task. My tip is to refine your book statement into a slogan and display it on your pin-board for your reference.
2. Conduct a 'wants and needs' review. Do this for each your main characters
Review what each MC wants and needs.
List your main characters, including the central antagonist, and do this on a separate sheet. Beside each name, note their wants and needs. (Wants are desires that boost a MC’s comfort and enjoyment, whereas needs are essential for their survival and safety.) Evaluate how far each character has progressed in achieving and fulfilling these wants and needs. For those characters who haven’t yet begun to address their wants and needs, begin to outline adventures that might take them towards obtaining their goals. For those MC's who have already started their journey towards achieving their wants and needs, outline a set of inconveniences + impediments that will stand in their way and stop them reaching their aspirations.
3. Uncover where you might be in the story
Where are you in the story you're telling? Have your own wants and needs been addressed on the page and in the real world?
Go through your list of current characters and work out which one most reminds you of yourself! This could be simple, or it might pose a challenge, but you ought to put some thought to it and come-up with an honest answer!
Once you’ve discovered which character most resembles you, ask yourself what you should do next. Now is a great chance to reflect on your personal desires and requirements, and the moment of reflection provides an opportunity to assess any successes or failures you might have been experiencing. Be truthful with yourself. What obstacles or drawbacks are preventing you from achieving your goals (not just with your ongoing book project, but also in life, overall)?
After you have provided yourself with some truthful responses, determine how to manage or face those obstacles (personally) and then help your fictional character (the one that reminds you of yourself) to manage and face his/her/their obstacles too!
4. Distribute conflict. Do this is bundles of three!
Facilitate three conflicts in each of your main characters (MC's) including your central antagonist. Conflicts should be:
1) physical ( involving the body or material things)
2) mental / emotional (involving their strongest feelings)
3) spiritual (involving their inner experiences, their personal growth, or how they connect with self or nature, etc.)
Increase the stakes threefold for each conflict (in other words, intensify each of their problems by a factor of three)
Let me know how you get on! Happy writing!
© Neil Mach April 2026
Neil Mach is a prolific English author known for his clean urban fantasy fiction (like his popular 'Moondog' series) and his historical fiction works. Neil is also a well-known public speaker, and a creativity advisor. Neil has a background as a rock journalist. He frequently shares his expertise on writing and the music business, particularly rock music history, and has written over 20 books, and he often addresses writing workshops. Since its launch in 2019, his extremely popular Myth & Magic podcast has provided enthusiasts of fantasy literature and fantasy art with over 125 hours of audio enjoyment.
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