Literary Challenges...for Serious Writers.

For anyone with your head down trying to write that book, this post is for you.

One reason we may hear write, write, write...and read, read, read... is because the more we write (and read), the more we learn. 

Come to find out, which it took a lot of writing (and reading) to find out, each writing project is different. Not only is there an obvious difference between writing for varying mediums...i.e, blog, professional medium, or a literary work such as a book, each and every writing experience differs. 

Some books I've written were a breeze to write. In a month or so, one draft, the book was written and done. Other books have taken years to complete...and was completed after several (almost completely different) drafts.

At any rate, I jotted down a few, or rather my top 10 book writing challenges this time around.  

1. The Cringe Factor. Man! It's annoying coming across corny (awkward) sentences. 

2. Naming Characters. I like unique names, but then the name has to fit the character I'm writing.

3. Memory Lapse... you know...driving a black Acura on page 2, and then towards the middle of the story, like on page 110, the car is suddenly a tan BMW. (This is where 'if you tell the truth you won't have to have a good memory' gets real visual!)

4. Time Passage. It is a drag writing books where the story moves a day at a time; but nothing in comparison to trying to convey one story that expands decades! 

5. SPOILERS! Most readers love surprise endings, but trying to make them happen often means the writer can't know the ending either.

6. The Take Off. Sometimes I have write the entire story, and then return to the beginning to rewrite the opening. (Some stories begin like cars that have been driven hundreds of thousands of miles. Sluggish. Before suddenly acting like a brand new Porsche! That's why sometimes it's necessary to go back to the beginning and replace the old car with a brand new jet!)

7. And Landing. This would be 'the premise'. Does the ending match up with the entire story...and make sense!?!

8. Remembering to Stop and Smell the Roses. Every so often it is important to pause and describe where these characters are, what they are seeing, or else everybody could end up lost. The writer, reader, and characters!

9. Repeating Words. Oh My Goodness. I know there are only 26 letters in the alphabet, but that is no excuse to keep repeating the same sequence.

10. And this one is a real challenge to read; Switching POVs. (That's 'Point of View', for anyone who might still be thinking vehicles). I do this a lot in my stories, and not because I'm trying to give my characters (or story) more than one dimension. I naturally see pictures from many angles, perhaps the greatest challenge when writing because man-o-man...this style of writing is not the easiest, nor the clearest to read...or REWRITE for Clarity's sake!!!

I definitely suggest not giving up if one work isn't working. There will inevitably be that one that will be a breeze to write. That's why write, write, write is so useful to know. 

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