Reincorporation: a trick for getting unstuck

In Keith Johnstone’s book Impro, he talks about reincorporation.

He states:

The improviser has to be like a man walking backward. He sees where he has been, but he pays no attention to the future. His story can take him anywhere, but he must still ‘balance’ it, and give it shape, by remembering incidents that have been shelved and reincorporating them.

This is a technique I’ve used a lot in my writing. When I’m stuck on a scene, I’ll revisit what I’ve already written to find my solution.

It’s often the tiny, unplanned moments that inform the direction of the story.

Next time you are stuck, revisit your past pages to move forward.