By  LPJ

Three weeks I struggled over composing a two-page synopsis of my 140-page book manuscript.  That wasn’t easy at all.  I must have edited the piece over 15 times. Whenever a new version came up, it didn’t seem good enough.  Time for hair pulling, but I thought I’d try again. I’m too close to the story that pinching it to less than 800 words (required limit) and produce a gripping summary was horrendous.  Impossible, I thought.

I’m sharing this experience to admit that writing can be both a thrill and a discouragement.  Venting, you might say.  Yes.  I was close to 75% giving up. When words are hard to come by, and ideas don’t gel, composing a written piece is like mountain climbing for one who doesn’t climb heights.  But I didn’t stop trying.  I learned to climb, searched for more helpful tools, spent considerable time just thinking and thinking, edited and edited, wrote and read the lines loud over and over again.

Hmmm … but I wasn’t yet content – not good enough.

Flowers from W. Jean Crescini Camba and Mike Jensen (searched for the writing muse in these lovely flowers)

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