Writer's block: it's back in Everyday life
- Jan. 26, 2018, 2:26 a.m.
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- Public
This could refer to this entry, but instead it refers to work.
For those who don’t know, I work in journalism. I’m working on a time-sensitive story, something I’d like to get done by 6 a.m.
And I just can’t write the lead paragraph.
My reporting is finished (for now, until the editor kicks it back to me with any requests). It’s just putting words to the keyboard.
I’m struggling.
There are two schools of thought with this stuff:
— Write the rest of the story, then the lead will come to you.
— Write the lead, and the rest will flow easily.
I’m in the latter camp, at least at this moment. Sometimes I can circle back to the lead after writing much of the body, but it’s not happening here.
Some of it, admittedly, is procrastination.
Some of it is hoping for excellence. What’s the saying, perfect is the enemy of good? You have to just hit the “send” button sometimes, no matter how much you want to labor through it.
I’m sure some of you are feeling it in a different way, trying to craft entries. You keep pushing through, and I’ll do the same.
Newzlady ⋅ January 27, 2018
I usually have to write the lead before the rest will flow easily (or at all). Try pretending you’re talking to someone who doesn’t know anything about the story and has just asked you “what’s it about?”
king of i Newzlady ⋅ January 28, 2018
I'm glad someone else feels my pain!