The hardest part to write?

[Mythica]

What do you think is the hardest part of a book to write? For me I think it is falling in love. That is really hard to do, but it's fun. :D

[ClaudiaGray]

Romance is hard. Setting up plot points so that they will make sense later but without giving the whole game away is hard. Introducing most characters is difficult for me.

[Valona]

What do you think is the hardest part of a book to write? For me I think it is falling in love. That is really hard to do, but it's fun. :D

Query and synopsis. If you're having trouble with the falling in love part, read some romance novels. They do it pretty well.

[Andrhia]

I think the hardest part of a book to write is the middle. You're done with setting the stage, your characters have waltzed in, and then... stuff... has to happen to get to the end. A lot of it. And it has to keep happening. For dozens, nay, hundreds of pages!

None of my work has falling-in-love as a necessary element so far. :) But in terms of content, I do worry a lot about walking the line between too much description and white room syndrome. It's so squishy and subjective, you know?

[MoonWriter]

The part I'm working on - that's usually the hardest.

It's probably because I don't like conflict. I'd like for all of my characters to get along - be friends or fall in love or work together to solve problems, but that would go against the advice of having conflict on every page. I'm getting better - I now have conflict on every other page. I'll add the rest when I begin editing.

Sex scenes are difficult for me to write, too. Being married with two kids, I'm really forced to use my imagination.

[sheadakota]

The part I'm working on - that's usually the hardest.

It's probably because I don't like conflict. I'd like for all of my characters to get along - be friends or fall in love or work together to solve problems, but that would go against the advice of having conflict on every page. I'm getting better - I now have conflict on every other page. I'll add the rest when I begin editing.

Sex scenes are difficult for me to write, too. Being married with two kids, I'm really forced to use my imagination.
I'm the exact oppisite- I love writing conflict, the hardest part for me is what to do between the conflicts- I love angst-

sex scenes are hard for me too- ditto on the married with two kids thing :)

[Wolvel]

Sex scenes are difficult for me to write, too. Being married with two kids, I'm really forced to use my imagination.

The trick I use is to set the scene up then let it trail off in a way that the reader can fill in the blanks. Kind of leave it as to where they know what's about to happen without having to detail it.

[IdiotsRUs]

Sex scenes are difficult for me to write, too. Being married with two kids, I'm really forced to use my imagination.

So am I ( married with two kids). It doesn't stop me being fruity! Ofc the Old Man gets the benfit after I've spent an evening thinking of interesting ways to errrr play hide the sausage

[dawinsor]

Beginnings are hard to get right because they have to accomplish so much and do it quickly. But oddly, sometimes the hardest thing is the simple stuff--getting a person out of a room, a few lines of dinner table chatter that sound natural, stuff like that.

[Matera the Mad]

The hardest part is whatever part I am trying to get right-sized :D

[L.R. Currell]

The hardest part for me is writing the direction of where I want the story to go and also keeping things interesting

[Hollan]

I think the hardest part of a book to write is the middle.

Second that. I love writing beginnings, but once I get over the initial excitement, and I have to keep making it interesting I get bored. I just want to get through all the middle stuff and get to the end. Plus, I usually only have ideas for the beginning and end with only a vague notion of the middle.

I also have a prob. w/ description. Should I describe what they are eating for dinner or not?

[Snowstorm]

My toughest part is the expounding, fleshing out an item, or philosophy in a character, like a thought or feeling. My writing is TOO tight, so I've been told. I'm jealous of writers who can write a paragraph that's relaxed but not to ad nauseum.

[Chasing the Horizon]

The hardest part for me is the beginning. If I had my way, every book would start with chapter 2 and readers would telepathically be informed of who's who and why what's happening. Fantasy beginnings are the worst, because you have to introduce the world on top of introducing the characters and setting up the plot. AND the beginning is supposed to be INTERESTING on top of it all! I think one reason I like writing continuing storyline series so much is because I don't have to write a true beginning for the sequels. I can handle introducing the plot if readers already know the characters and setting.

I'll join the group that finds sex scenes difficult too. I've gotten pretty good at writing them, but I still hate doing it. But I love writing romance elements, so I can't just skip the sex scenes.

It's funny how many people find the middles of books difficult. That's always my favorite part and usually where my best scenes end up too. In fact, the middle of my first novel was so good it was really hard to make the ending not seem anti-climatic by comparison, lol.

[maestrowork]

Transitions... and the in-between scenes from key scenes to key scenes. You can't just jump, but you don't want to linger either, and they usually come out really bleh.

Middles are always the worst for me. I'm in mid-book now, and I'm definitely having the blues.

[Michael Davis]

Actually, writing the story for me is a breeze. I see all the scenes evolve in my head and just let er rip. If I don't like where it went, I rewind and let the mind run free again. The only problem I have with romance scene is just how explicit to I get. I'm a guy whose primary audience is woman (I'm a big alpha male that likes the charm of man/woman relationships so I write romantic suspense and thrillers).

As I guy, I know what guys like, and will tolerant, but I had no idea what women would accept. So I conducted an experiment in my early days of writing fiction. I took about a dozen close female friends/family, showed them three different romantic passages, and asked them to rate each depending on whether they wanted more or less explicit description (its my analytical side to study things).

I was amazed by the result. The responses were all over the board. Some wanted to know everything, some wanted a closed door policy, there was no generally acceptable norm or pattern, except that younger women seemed to want a little more explicitness then older women. I decided to go with what I was conformable with seeing in print. Its clear whats happening but its stated with respect, grace, and a literary flow. From the reviews, seems that to have worked and I haven't upset anyone so far, so I'll stick with it.

Big Mike

Michael Davis
Davisstories.com - “Stories that touch the heart and mind"
TheWritersVineyard.com
Tainted Hero, “Sometimes good people do bad things for the right reasons.” Champagne books,Dec 07
Forgotten Children, “Greed is blind to human suffering.” Champagne books,July 08
Blind Consent, “Where the heart and mind collide.” 09
The Treasure, “A lonely heart can impair one’s judgment.” Forbidden Speculation paperback, Dec 07

[JoNightshade]

The beginning. I rewrite these over and over, particularly my WIP. I'm still struggling over how to make it hook the reader. Originally it just started slow, but that was "too slow." Right now it begins with a surprise, a bang, but a couple of people have noted that they expected more of a thriller or suspense... but the genre is contemporary fic / romance. Argh! I need to figure out how to set just the right tone.

[willietheshakes]

The next part.

[Brighid]

The end - it's difficult to say good-bye to those wonderful characters that I've spent so much time with during the previous months.

[triceretops]

It's always been the middle. Trying to keep up that intensity to the end is difficult. Beginnings and endings are wonderfully easy. The mid-filler is the bummer.

Character background and history is always a chore. Trying to describe a city or location where the scene/action takes place.

Tri

[Stew21]

I'd say the hardest part is during editing when all the stuff I let flow and to get my story out needs to be cleaned up, added to, cleaned up again and polished.
As for scenes during editing - my most edited, revised and disected scene is the first one. that first sentence has to really be good. That first scene has a lot to accomplish. I have worked hardest on it, I believe.

[storygirl]

Beginnings are by far the easiest for me. After that, different things take turns being hard. The middle can bog me down, or I can fly right through it. The end can fly from my finger tips or be tapped out one little apprehensive letter at a time. Just depends. I know a lot of times I'll be spinning my wheels a bit when I'm trying to build up to something BIG happening, and then when it's time for the BIG to happen, I'll sometimes freeze, knowing I built it up so much that I have to make it amazing. But all my hurdles are all fairly easily overcome by BIC time.

[donroc]

Showing not telling. This former educator can be too wonky with facts and didactic.

[angeliz2k]

So far I haven't written a heck of a lot, but it seems to change depending on the story I'm writing. Sometimes I have a really good idea where to start, so the beginning is no problem, such as in my last WIP. But then the middle might become a problem, such as in my last WIP! On my current work, though, I'm having trouble finding the right place to begin so it's the beginning that's the problem.

The ending seems to work out just fine, though, because I almost always have an ending in mind.

[sportacus]

The Hardest part for me to write is all the necessary exposition amongst a really good beginning. It's stuff that needs to be said, but it takes away from the pace and flow.

[Bufty]

Necessary exposition 'amongst a really good beginning'. Hmmmm.

If it takes away from the pace and flow you are not writing it properly.

But on the other hand, think about this - Is it really necessary? For whose benefit does it 'need to be said'?

Maybe it's only needed for your benefit - stuff you need to keep in mind as you write the story. But probably not stuff a reader needs to know immediately and up front - can't it be filtered in later bit-by-bit on a need-to-know basis?


The Hardest part for me to write is all the necessary exposition amongst a really good beginning. It's stuff that needs to be said, but it takes away from the pace and flow.

[sportacus]

Necessary exposition 'amongst a really good beginning'. Hmmmm.

If it takes away from the pace and flow you are not writing it properly.

But on the other hand, think about this - Is it really necessary? For whose benefit does it 'need to be said'?

Maybe it's only needed for your benefit - stuff you need to keep in mind as you write the story. But probably not stuff a reader needs to know immediately and up front - can't it be filtered in later bit-by-bit on a need-to-know basis?


Although there's quite a bit of truth that it probably isn't written properly if it takes away from the flow, I find (especially with my WIP) that I need this beginning to be moving forward rapidly, right from the 'get-go'. The problem arises because there is a significant change of events in the early part of chapter two, but the significance isn't conveyed properly without several things being explained.


I'm sure this made little sense, but I hope you know what I mean.

[Stew21]

Beginnings are by far the easiest for me.

they are easy for me too, in first draft. It's the revisions that give it a beating. ;)

[Shadow_Ferret]

What do you think is the hardest part of a book to write? For me I think it is falling in love. That is really hard to do, but it's fun. :D
Having them fall in love naturally and at a believable pace. My characters all fall in love like I do, immediately head over heels at first sight.

[DWSTXS]

The middle is the hardest. Beginnings and endings are easy.

[ishtar'sgate]

The hardest part to write is the opening. Everything else is a cakewalk in comparison. I agonize over those first few paragraphs for a long time before I'm satisfied.
Linnea

[ToddWBush]

I think that the hardest part for me is the actual starting... I can outline, I can come up with the ideas... but knowing that when you sit down at the keyboard and the blank screen is staring you in the face... that's kind of daunting.

[Mythica]

Having them fall in love naturally and at a believable pace. My characters all fall in love like I do, immediately head over heels at first sight.

Haha me too! I think that might be why it's tough to write! :D

[Andre_Laurent]

Query and synopsis.
The novel is cake...the query and synopsis? I'd rather be beaten.

[Manderley]

The beginning. Because I know what the perfect version of the story looks like in my head, but whatever I put down on paper fails to live up to the expectations. As soon as I have messed up that first, white page it gets easier.

Then the hardest part of writing is whatever I'm working on at the moment. I have problem staying in the now of the story, I always want to rush ahead and tell it all at once. Alas, that does not a good story make.

[girlyswot]

The hardest part to write is the part that breaks your heart. When you realise that however much you want to, you can't stop the tragedy and the story has to come out.

[dreamsofnever]

The beginning is really difficult. And I'm with Maestro on hating the in-between scenes. If I could just jump from exciting plot point to exciting plot point without having to explain how I get from point A to point C, I'd be a happy camper.

oh, and I'm getting better at it, but writing action is really tough for me. This is bad because my WIP has a lot of action/fight scenes. but the best way to improve is to force myself to write outside my comfort zone, so I'll get there :)

[Sassee]

The hardest part?

All of it.

What? You think I'm kidding? ;) Though, if you really want me to pick the hardest parts, here they are:

The beginning - getting the opening just right
The middle - trying to keep my momentum without going insane (or messing up the storyline)
The end - denoument
Revisions - cleaning it up while trying not to over-analyze

[Charlie Horse]

The novel is cake...the query and synopsis? I'd rather be beaten.

Amen to that.

Outside of the above, the beginning so far has proven to be tough for me. I know what's going on but getting the reader pulled into right away without going into to a whole lot of explaining is hard. Then again, every book is different.

[lfraser]

Definitel the beginning, for me. I have several "first" chapters, all very different, although I think me most recent attempt comes closest to what I want. I don't think I'll be able to get the opening chapter right until I've finished the rest.