What’s the Hardest Thing for Me to Write?

​Part 1 – The Two Hardest Ones
There are two things that are super hard for me to write – first drafts and the business posts on my blog.

First drafts are easy to explain. Duh! It’s hard to figure out what to write on a blank page. I started thinking about the Zoo Scavenger Hunt in December. Last week I  finally wrote the first words.

What was I doing for 2 months? Figuring out what to write! I had the idea, but I needed more. I had to design a plot with a problem, 3 tries, and a happy ending. That doesn’t sound so hard, but it is!

I also spent time researching the zoo. I googled information and watched videos. I even went to the zoo, and I took tons of pictures. Some were of the animals, but I made sure I took lots of pictures of their homes. I need to be able to picture both to write this story.
​
I did all that . . . Then I could finally write chapter 1. I haven’t started chapter 2 – I need to figure out what the inciting incident will be and how to head toward the first try. Stayed tuned!
​

---

​​Business posts for my blog are also hard, unless I have a book coming out. Then I have lots to say. I’m doing events and reporting them to you. That’s easy!

But when there’s no book, it’s HARD! I have to think of something. There’s nothing worse than a blank page.

I have to stop, go back, and  think about what I’m doing to move forward as a writer. It also has to be something new. Duh! I can’t write the same thing over and over again!

​

---

Part 2 – Part 2 – My Obstacles and How I Overcome Them
When I write a post, I start with images, enough to write 2 or 3 parts. I picked these 6 before writing a single word. They each represent one of my blocks.

​This is one of the worst ones . . . Ideas can be like eggs. Do you see the chick inside? It has to fight its way out one peck at a time. It’s hard work! Chicks look exhausted when they’re done. Sometimes I do too.
​
​With a post, I start with images, but I struggle with how to explain them. It’s like taking peck after peck at that shell, but it won’t crack. It’s frustrating! I keep pecking, trying to find that daylight. Eventually I do. I tap and tap until I find the way out.
​

---

​​Have you ever started with an idea, rejected it, and thrown it away? This is how people used to do it, by crumbling up paper. It is so satisfying!

It’s almost the same on the computer.  I write something, delete it, and try, try again. It’s frustrating to be stuck, unable to move forward.
​I’ve learned to stop deleting. Now I add space between the obstacle and what I want to delete.

I pull that passage back up  again and again, or I retype it. Eventually I find the right way over the obstacle, or a new and better idea comes through. There’s something about that  space that helps me push through.
​​

---

Sometimes, I just get lost in ideas. I lose my bearings, and I feel like I can’t write my way out of a paper bag.

One of the best ways to find your way is to retrace your steps. Go backwards in time, step by step. Usually you find your way.
​
When I’m writing, I go back and read over what I’ve written. Usually I can pick up the thread and find my way into the next sentence. If that doesn’t work, I jot down ideas for what might come next. That works too.
​

---

Sometimes I just take a break. This is me at the lake. I always sit in a comfy chair, in a room with a view. When I get stuck, I look out the window. Other times I need to get up and do something else. Taking a break helps me move on.
​
My best advice – don’t let the obstacles throw you. Listen to your words and to yourself. You’ll figure out how to move past those blocks. 

---