If you find yourself struggling to write dialogue, creating interactions between characters, or just setting a scene then you may find yourself wanting to just give up (I have found myself in that same position….not seriously thinking about it, just feeling defeated). Don’t ever quit! The first thing you should do is start looking for a book that is somewhat in the genre you are writing in and just read it.

Research is so important while writing your first or tenth novel, and it is another tool that I have put into my writer’s box so that it’s always there when I need it. The research may come in the form of a book, movie, TV show, or even a magazine. Anything that seems to drum up that creativity and motivation inside of you.

The Agony of Alice, written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor in 1985 was exactly what I was looking for. The first project that I am working on has a lot of interaction between preteens and teenagers in the 80’s-90’s and I found myself struggling to remember how that age group interacted with each other and what kind of conversations they would have. So I set out to find some YA books written in the 80’s and 90’s and thankfully stumbled upon this gem of a series. Not only does it delve into the world of preteens and teenagers, but it also talks about how Alice had to learn how to navigate through life after the loss of her mom.

So not only did I find the perfect book to help me study up on character interactions and dialogue, but also a book that hit close to home and tugged a little bit on my heart strings. Many of the things Alice went through during her life was something I had also experienced. From learning how to pick out a bra on her own, to knowing when it was time to shave her armpits for the first time. These are things that Mom’s are the greatest for and having missed out on many of those things made life quite difficult for Alice.

In the first book Alice, “stumbles” gracefully through the sixth grade and learns how to navigate through life with a little help from her brother Lester, her dear old dad, and a special teacher named Mrs. Plotkins whom Alice has chosen as her “replacement” mom. It truly is an endearing novel that really drew me in from beginning to end, and I will continue reading the other books in due time so that I can continue my research and as an added bonus find something entertaining to read.

So just remember to never give up on a project even if you find yourself struggling to find the words needed to complete a scene. There are so many helpful books, blogs, vlogs, etc that are out there to help you learn whatever it is that you seek.