this is probably going to be a long answer so apologies in advance!! honestly, it really depends on the fic and what I'm getting stuck on, if anything. the thing that is most likely to leave me in wip limbo is if I honestly have no idea where it's going, so to avoid that, I make sure I have at least an idea of the entire arc of the story I'm trying to write, even if that's a vague concept in my mind of how it starts and how it ends. from there, I find it easier to figure out how I'm going to get from one point to the other. for shorter fics this is usually enough for me, but for longer or more complex stories, I can get really really stuck in the process of writing. my personal most common problems are feeling like something is missing, struggling to make a scene have the impact I need it to have, or questioning if the character's actions or inner process make sense to their primary conflict. I find in these situations one of the most helpful ways to get out of it is talking it through with someone I trust (I am happy to help you any time!) because sometimes, I just need to be prompted to think about something differently to figure out what I need to make it work. I also sometimes use the following exercises to help me, again depending on what kind of fic I'm trying to write:

1) the most basic - outline your story with a basic 3 point beginning, middle, and end. what is the main conflict/main climax point, how do you want it to start and how do you want it to end? then you can use some of these other tools or talking through it to figure out what you need to move between the parts of your story.

2) write a short sentence that describes each scene you have, then a short blurb about the purpose that scene serves. what do you still need to fill in gaps in the story? is there anything that isn't in the right place, or anything that maybe isn't doing anything and needs to be adjusted? you can also apply more to your 3-points to include inciting incident, rising action, and falling action if you want to. I'll attach a photo to this thread with what I'm referencing here.

3) unpack your characters. who's head are we in, what is the main problem or pain point they are dealing with, and how does that influence their behavior? this can help if you're struggling to come up with how to move things, especially a conflict, forward - what kind of misunderstandings could arise or what is something your character would realistically do that would help the reader understand them better?

you don't have to do all or even any of these things if you don't find them helpful, or if you are just writing something short and don't need/want to dig so deep into things, I just wanted to share some things that have been helpful to me and honestly I just enjoy talking about writing and the process. everyone writes differently and to accomplish different things so if none of this is helpful, that's also okay!!! if it is or you want to talk more about anything specific you're struggling with, reach out to me anytime ♡