The Most Difficult Part of Writing

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The Most Difficult Part of Writing

The most difficult part of writing for me right now is just sitting down and writing. I have no real inclination to write fiction, and I find it hard to focus on a long project.

Iā€™m sure the desire will come back, probably when I stop spending so much time on the Internet.Ā Here are some responses from other authors about the easiest and hardest parts of the writing process. The comments are taken from interviews posted at Pat Bertram Introduces . . .

The Most Difficult Part of WritingFrom an interview with J J Dare, Author of False Positive and False World

The hardest part of the writing process is an inspiration. When itā€™s not there, it canā€™t be faked. Constipated writing can be unbearable.

From an interview with Dale Cozort, Author of ā€œExchange

The most difficult part is the last five percent of the editing process, the part that gets you from almost the right words to exactly the right words. For me, that takes more time than writing the rough draft.

From an interview with A. F. Stewart, Author of Once Upon a Dark and Eerie

The most difficult part is writing the middle section of the plot. Iā€™m great at churning out beginnings and endings, but I always have to work at writing the stuff in between.

From an interview with Alan Place, Author of ā€œPat Canella: The Dockland Murdersā€

The hardest part of writing for me is to stop thinking of new stories. I have about 20-30 just waiting to be written but I need to go back and edit others. Editing is the second hardest as my grammar is bad.

I have so many ideas, I had to devise an ideas file on my laptop. I had a great story once but life got in the way. When I tried to go back a day or two later I couldnā€™t think of it, that is when I chose to use a file.

From an interview with Polly Iyer, Author of ā€œHookedā€

Getting the story to gel. Iā€™m not an outliner or plotter. I write by the seat of my pants and never really know where the story is going. I know where I want to wind up, but getting there is an experience. I love it.

So, for you, What is the easiest part of the writing process, and what is the most difficult?

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3 Comments
  1. Avatar of Joyce White
    Joyce White says

    Writers have to turn the world off around us long enough to let inspiration take hold of us. I follow the three A rules when composing: a subject gets my attention, appreciation and affection when I follow through on an article. I have to give myself trhese three to and then my article writes itself in mysterious ways.

  2. Avatar of Jack Eason
    Jack Eason says

    Depending on the story – unless I consult my notes I can suddenly find I’ve left a vital character out of a particular section of the story. Plus, if your story returns to a previous location as happens in The Forgotten Age, remembering exactly how you got there in the first place can be a problem, unless you made a note of it. šŸ™‚

  3. Avatar of Branka Cubrilo
    Branka Cubrilo says

    I never lack ideas for my stories or novels, for me the key element would be – discipline: to get up early and to make a big pot of a strong black tea and disconnect phones. Discipline and repetition lay ground to my creative endevours (I often dislike both of those elements!)
    Thanks Pat for your insightful article and may your creative river flow freely again.

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