Day Three - what shall I write about!?!

I can see why blogging is the perfect exercise for a writer.  You must write, even if you have nothing to say!  April 11 is sort of a nemesis day for me.  Fifty-one years ago it was one of the worst days of my life.  I've never celebrated it, tried hard to forget it.  Today I had brief hopes something good would happen to turn it into a day I would remember with happiness.  My house was shown for the second time since I put it on the market.

Last time the house was shown, back in January I think, I was so excited I almost started packing for Oklahoma.  The let down when no offer came was heart wrenching.  I know it's a lousy market, but my hopes were sky high.  This time I refuse to have any expectations.  It was discombobulating enough when the call came at noon, "Can we show your house at three?"  Daughter and I cleaned house like a couple of whirlwinds, no small feat since I'm recovering from back surgery and she had a crick in her neck!  We barely got out the door before they showed up.  Now the waiting begins.

I have a like situation in my writing.  Nothing is going right.  With my first novel, I simply wrote it.  I did the synopsis and outline afterward, because I had to have them to submit to a publisher.  This time, I decided to do it right.  At least outline the plot first.  Apparently the drawback to having created good, strong characters is that if they don't like your damn plot they're not going to go along with it!  I'm mired down in three chapters that are going absolutely nowhere.  These characters are dragging their feet, lollygagging about the house, refusing to jump in and get down to the business of putting themselves in harm's way.  

So, what to do? Do I jump ahead and write the chapter that forces the action to begin?  Do I dump those three chapters and try a new tack?  Do I rewrite the plot and hope it will make my stubborn characters happy?  Or do I do what every writer eventually does?  Procrastinate!  Procrastinate until the jello in my head turns to concrete?  Procrastinate until something happens, good or bad?  Of course, all this insanity is taking place in my head, so sooner or later (probably later, knowing me) I will have to face the situation and wrestle it into something manageable. 

Happy writing, out there!