Difficult part of book

[Icenii]

I'm 20k words in to a fantasy novel but have hit a difficult section. I kind of know what I want to go it but it's hard to write. It will be about 4000 words worth. It's drivvle at the moment. It needs some backstory and history in there because its to do with memory recall. Do I just get any words down even if its dreadful and come back to it later, or would you spend time on it. It's an important part of the book.

If it's your first draft I'd just get something down, however unsatisfactory you find it and then move onto the next section. You can always come back and edit it afterwards

It is my first draft. Tbh I think the whole thing will be heavily editored as its my first time writing its feels very beginner compared to the books I'm reading.

Do you have a plan of the book?

A lot of writers keep a journal where they have a page per chapter and just write in their own words what will happen in the chapter - you can add other bits of information as well, eg about the weather, someone's job, that sort of thing. That way when you are writing, you are less likely to hit a block like this.

You're not alone there! I have a finished first draft that I am planning to tackle this year. The whole thing needs rewriting but that is normal and not a reflection on your skill as a writer. Remember that the books you are reading have been edited over and over prior to publishing. So stick with it.

Would second the idea of having a plan. I found that kept me flowing when I stalled.

I don't plan.
What I find when I'm in a difficult part of the book is keep writing. You may find the couple of chapters you write are really difficult, but then the story starts flowing again.
Then sometimes you find that bit you wrote when you were really stuck actually isn't as dire as you thought it was. I wrote one story which seemed to stick forever in a walk up Snowdon. I would have told you it was several very boring chapters. It's actually a chapter and a half and very little is about the walk, and wasn't nearly as bad as I felt when I wrote it.
Yes, it did need a lot of editing, but so do those chapters that seem to flow easily.

Thanks for the advise. I have my chapters with a few lines in each in Scrivener but I think I'll outline these hard scenes and then plump it out.

I'm finding as a write more ideas are generated and I make notes in Scrivener against the scenes.

Also I use to just read a book, but now I'm paying close attention to how it is written! The published books seem so rich and plump, mine feels like a scrawny stray cat hunting for food.