Overcoming My First Writer's Block
When I hit the midpoint of my book, I also encountered my first major obstacle in my writing process. I don't know if it was writer's block, that dreaded experience where a writer sits down and tries to write and nothing comes out. Or if it was just my first struggle with figuring out where I wanted my story to go and how to get it there. Or it it was because of my first real experience editing a section of my book.
Whatever it was, it wasn't enjoyable. The process of writing was hard, and it didn't flow easily. It was a struggle to figure out what to do next, but I kept working at it. And the other day, I realized - You know what? I've pushed through that tough time.
And I have. I just kept sitting down, trying a different angle, and basically not giving up. What helped me get through it was finding a way to see my story in a different light. Something new to inspire me and remind me why I want to write this story at this time.
My story is about a girl who wants a dog more than anything, and the process of making that a reality. The story is focused on her life and this specific piece of it. But what helped reinvigorate this story for me was for me to focus on her parents. She has two fathers, a Daddy and a Papa. While they are not the focus of the book, they are obviously central figures. I knew I wanted the girl to have gay fathers from the very beginning of the book, because there are so few books with fathers in them and even fewer books with gay parents in them.
There have been a few really good children's books that explore the many different types of families and celebrate diversity, and explain that it's okay to have different families. Those books have a very important place in our history and literature. This book is different, kind of like the next step from those initial stories. This book incorporates the diversity without making it the focal point of the story. It doesn't create a dialogue about why or how this girl has a different family structure. It simply provides one example of one family with gay parents.
By creating this specific family in this story, I am not speaking for every gay parent or every child with a different family structure. What I hope to do is to create one more book with gay fathers than there was in the world before. To start to even out that huge imbalance in children's literature.
By reminding myself of this other goal, I've been able to pick up steam and get back into my writing with a renewed sense of purpose. To experience the days when I sit down and the words fly onto the page. Where I see the story spread its wings and take flight. As I near the end of the writing process, I thought I'd start sharing regular updates on my progress, so here is the first one.
Status: 28,885 words. Working on lining up an illustrator. Can't wait to share the cover design with you!
