For Better or Worse

It’s easy to forget that writing is hard work.

Sometimes when I’m writing, my thoughts flow onto the page as smoothly as honey on toast. I don’t have to pause to think of the right words; they simply appear. I don’t stress over the details of description (something I always struggle with). My characters make me laugh out loud or get teary-eyed. The plot enchants me. When my writing is like this, I feel like I have wings, and that I’m gliding above what I have created, enjoying the view.

But, unfortunately, most of the time, I am not soaring but slogging through the desert. I struggle for words. The plot becomes an impossible snarl. My characters are stilted or, worse, caricatures spouting wooden dialogue. The descriptions are boring. At these times, I want to delete my entire hard drive.

The funny thing is that whether I struggle or not, the end result is usually about the same. When, weeks later, I go back to review what I’ve written, I can’t tell which pages came from the sweat of my brow and which ones I wrote with ease.

If you are feeling frustrated with your writing, you are not alone! Hang tough; eventually, you will reap the benefit of your diligence.