Analysis paralysis. It’s what happens when you’re afraid of picking the wrong thing—or when you’re afraid of picking now when there’s a chance that a superior option could appear later.
Perhaps the scariest part is that it can strike at any moment. In the middle of outlining? You might have too many choices in front of you for the “fun and games” portion of the story. Drafting? Maybe you find yourself hung up on a character’s decision. Revising? Well, everything is a choice in revision, isn’t it?
I used to suffer from analysis paralysis big time, and then I’d get decision fatigue. Both are partially to blame for why I took so long to get serious about my writing. I couldn’t pick a project to save my life. And when I did have a project that captivated me for a few weeks, I’d inevitably give up when I hit any sort of roadblock. Then it was on to the new shiny thing. Repeat for twelve years.
But the great news is that there are ways writers can overcome analysis paralysis, and all it takes is something you likely already have in your home. Bust open an old board game of yours to steal the included die (or let Google roll a die for you), or open up that deck of cards you have in the back of a drawer (or use a random card generator). It’s time to solve all your writing woes!
How to Roll the Dice
Evens for Yes, Odds for No
Sometimes you just need a little nudge in a particular direction to tell you how you really feel about a decision you’re trying to make. In lieu of a Magic 8-Ball, you can roll a die real quick to be the tie breaker between your pros and cons list.
Here’s the secret to this technique: if you’re disappointed in your results, there’s nothing stopping you from doing the opposite of what the die advises. This is supposed to provide clarity, not force you to adhere to the Fates’ whims.
Brainstorm Six, Select One
Let’s say you don’t know what to name your character. You’re not hurting for choices—in fact, you’re spoiled for choice thanks to your group chat. Or maybe, after seeing a few almost-but-not-quite-right choices, you feel the urge to fall down a rabbit hole. How do you move on when everything sounds like it could work, but nothing stands out?
You write down six. It doesn’t have to be the best six—it could be the first six you find, or it could be the six your partner fired off without thinking when you were wondering out loud what to name your character. Regardless of how you got the six, you write down the six and roll your die.
Now, unless this has perfectly illuminated which of the six is actually your very favorite, you may feel uneasy about the way the die landed. To that I say, “Use it anyway.” If you have this many decent choices for something that could be easily find-and-replaced, you can just go with what the die tells you to go with, stop thinking, and move onto the next problem.
How to Play the Cards You’re Dealt
Red for Yes, Black for No
If you’ve already used your deck of cards before, you can skip the first step, which is to shuffle your deck of cards. But after that’s over with, all you have to do is fan out the cards and select one. If you’re working with someone (or you have someone where you live who you feel like annoying a little bit), you can have them select the card instead.
Now, if you happen to pick a Joker card, your answer is up in the air. “Ask again later,” as the Magic 8-Ball would probably tell you.
Suitable for Suits
This is essentially the same as “Brainstorm Six, Select One,” but instead of brainstorming six solutions or options, you’ll only list four and assign them each a suit—heart, diamond, club, or spade. Your answer will depend on the suit you pull. If you’re the kind of person who likes to overthink things (I’m right there with you!), you might consider using the number of pips or the face on the card to influence how you write.
For example, say you were trying to decide whether your protagonist, the new adventurer in town, should head to the market (diamond), speak to the guards (spade), ask the old farmer why he looks so glum (club), or make small talk with an average-looking family (heart) first while in search of information about the vampire wreaking havoc at night. If you pull the queen of hearts, maybe that inspires you to have the protagonist not only talk to the family, but to have the mother run up to the protagonist and start the conversation herself.
Which leads nicely into my next subheading…
Symbolism Lights the Way
Did you know that playing card symbols have meanings behind them? I bet you did. You might know that old story about a soldier using a deck of cards for prayer, or you might have guessed that they have hidden meanings based on your knowledge of tarot cards (or the Fool’s Journey).
Depending on who you ask and the country of origin, playing cards can mean different things. The four suits alone could stand for societal classes, the seasons, the phases of the moon, or the elements. Really, if the Four-Temperament Ensemble TVTropes page has taught us anything, it’s that if you’ve got a group of four, you’ve got an opportunity for symbolism. And that’s just the one element of the cards! You could also find symbolism in the face cards (like the poor king of hearts) and the pips (like the ace of spades being the card of death). And don’t get me started on what Pinterest will show you!
Or forget all that. Most historians will tell you that the origins of playing card symbols are muddied at best anyway. You can guiltlessly toss all preconceived notions out the window and assign your own symbolism to the cards to help you. Assign the main players in your story a face card, pull three random cards, and try to make them make sense in the world of your story. Use them as a writing prompt. Unleash your creativity.
