Envy is supposed to be some terrible attribute. Some kind of giant character flaw. But, I don’t see the big deal. Maybe it’s in my definition of the word. I see it as having a desire to have things other people have, or to be more like other people. It doesn’t mean that you feel other people shouldn’t have the things they have; there’s plenty to go around for everyone.
I envy a lot of different people:
People who seem to be born knowing what they want to do with their lives when they grow up.
People who find it easy to be prosperous.
People who can really play the guitar or piano.
People who can sit down & write. This is a big one. I have lots of things I’d like to write about, if for no other reason than to get some clarity on a subject (there’s no better way to sort out your thoughts about something than to have to make those thoughts understandable on paper). When I do write, I think I do a pretty good job – the reader, of course, is the final judge.
Problem is, it’s a lot of work for me. Those thoughts need to flow out. If that’s not happening, forget it. On top of that, I tend not to do much editing or re-writing; I’m usually pretty happy with the first draft, but that first draft takes a lot of time and effort.
I’m working on a story about prosperity right now. It’s the impetus for this post. I started it several months ago, and the first 8 or 9 pages came relatively easily – I had an idea in my head for the beginning. But, I didn’t know (and still don’t) where the story was going to go. So what happens? I think about working on it pretty often, but when I open it up to write… nada. Bubkis. Instead, I’m writing here.
So, if you’ve got any input on how to develop an overall storyline from a solid beginning, I’d love to hear it. Have you had to deal with a similar situation? How did you get past your writer’s block? Please share!