Some chapters refuse to be written.
You sit down, knowing what needs to happen, but the words don’t come. Or worse, they do—but they feel wrong. Stiff. Uninspired. You write a few paragraphs, delete them, try again, delete those too. You tell yourself you just need more time to figure it out. You’ll come back to it tomorrow. Or next week. Or after you’ve worked on another part of the book.
Except the next time you return, the problem is still there.
This is The Unfinished Chapter Curse—when a single chapter becomes a black hole in your book, swallowing progress and refusing to let you move forward. It’s not just writer’s block; it’s something more specific. A scene that feels impossible to finish, one that keeps pulling you back but never lets you leave.
If you’ve ever been stuck on the same chapter for weeks (or months), rewriting the same few pages over and over, you might be dealing with it. The good news? There’s a way out.
Why Some Chapters Resist Being Written
1. The Story Is Trying to Tell You Something
When a chapter isn’t working, there’s usually a reason. Maybe the scene doesn’t belong in the book. Maybe you’re trying to force something that doesn’t feel natural. Maybe the problem isn’t in this chapter at all, but in an earlier part of the book—something unresolved that’s making this moment harder than it needs to be.
If you can’t seem to write a chapter no matter how hard you try, ask yourself if the story actually needs it.
- Does this chapter move the plot forward or is it just filler?
- Is the conflict clear and meaningful, or does it feel like something is missing?
- Are the characters acting in ways that make sense, or are you forcing them to do something unnatural?
Sometimes, a chapter won’t work because it shouldn’t exist—or because something earlier in the book hasn’t set it up properly. If the scene is dragging, try removing it and see if the story still holds together. You might be stuck because your instincts are telling you that this chapter was never meant to be there in the first place.
2. You’re Trying to Get It “Right” Too Soon
Some writers get stuck because they treat the first draft like it’s the final draft. They obsess over every sentence, rewriting the opening paragraph ten times before moving on. They hesitate, unsure of how to structure the scene perfectly. They worry that the pacing is off, that the dialogue isn’t sharp enough, that they need to stop and do more research before they continue.
But here’s the truth: a first draft isn’t supposed to be right. It’s supposed to exist.
The reason this chapter feels impossible is because you’re trying to fix it before you’ve even written it. But a chapter doesn’t take shape in your mind first—it takes shape on the page. You won’t know what it needs until you’ve written a version of it, even if that version is deeply flawed.
If perfectionism is keeping you stuck, give yourself permission to write the worst version of this chapter first. No overthinking. No revising as you go. Just words on the page, no matter how messy. You can always fix them later.
3. You’re Subconsciously Avoiding What Happens Next
Sometimes, a chapter won’t let you finish it because you’re avoiding what comes after.
- Maybe the next scene is emotionally heavy, and your brain is resisting going there.
- Maybe the book is nearing the climax, and you’re feeling pressure to get everything right.
- Maybe this is the point where the book stops being an idea and becomes real—and that’s terrifying.
This happens a lot when writers are close to the end of a book. They slow down, rewrite early chapters, avoid moving forward because finishing means facing what comes next—revision, editing, and the possibility that it won’t live up to the vision in their head.
If you suspect this is the issue, ask yourself: Am I actually struggling with this chapter, or am I afraid of what finishing it means?
If it’s fear, push through anyway. No book gets finished without reaching the uncomfortable parts.
How to Escape the Unfinished Chapter Curse
1. Skip It and Come Back Later
There’s no rule that says you have to write a book in order. If a chapter refuses to come together, move past it and return when the rest of the book is done.
- Leave a placeholder—“[Something dramatic happens here]”—and keep writing.
- If dialogue is the problem, write only the dialogue first, then come back to fill in details.
- If a scene needs research, mark it and deal with accuracy later—don’t let it slow you down now.
Skipping ahead can often shake loose whatever was blocking you, because once you’ve written the later scenes, you might see what this one needs more clearly.
2. Change Your Approach
If you’ve been attacking the chapter from the same angle over and over, change how you’re writing it.
- Write it in a different POV—even if that’s not how it will appear in the final draft.
- Write it as a letter from one character to another, just to get a different perspective.
- Tell yourself you’re writing a terrible summary version of the scene, just to get something down.
Sometimes, shifting the way you approach the chapter will unlock what’s missing.
3. Cut Yourself Off Mid-Sentence
If the problem is momentum, try stopping your writing sessions in the middle of a sentence instead of at the end of a scene. It sounds counterintuitive, but it keeps your brain engaged with the chapter even when you’re not actively writing.
Hemingway did this—he always stopped for the day when he knew exactly what was going to happen next. That way, when he sat down the next morning, he didn’t have to figure out how to start.
If you keep hitting a wall, don’t stop at the end of a section—stop mid-thought, mid-conversation, mid-action. It’ll be easier to pick up where you left off.
Final Thoughts: Getting Through the Hard Parts
Every writer has one chapter that tries to kill them. The one that resists being written, that keeps pulling them back, that threatens to derail the entire book.
The trick isn’t to find a magic solution—it’s to keep writing, even when it’s difficult. Sometimes the chapter isn’t working because it’s unnecessary. Sometimes it’s because you’re overthinking it. And sometimes, it’s because you’ve reached the part of the book that matters most, and your brain is scared to get it wrong.
But books don’t get finished by avoiding the hard parts.
So whether you skip it, push through it, or rewrite it badly just to get it over with—do whatever it takes to break the curse. Because once you do?
The rest of the book is waiting. And it won’t write itself.
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