What's the hardest part about writing a story for you guys?

[Lee]

I tend to get ideas for a book including a rough plot line and then have a more or less complete first chapter form in my mind. I start writing and for several chapters the story really flows. Then I start seeing problems with the plot and bog down. My solution for this sort of writer's block is to have several projects going at the same time. I put aside the one that is giving me trouble and work on another. I've got three going at the moment. I find that as I'm working on one, ideas crop up for one of the others and I can return to it with great enthusiasm and energy. Once I get the book about two-thirds written all becomes clear and I work steadily to finish the first draft.

[Sheela]

Writing anything other than dialogue. I hate describing and explaining things.

[Dianne]

Tegan wrote: "Naming characters, it seems so inconsequential but for me it's vital that my characters have the "right" names. I can spend days agonising over it, pouring over lists of names and using those rando..."

I have a shelf of "name your baby" books. I can relate.

[J.K.]

Backstory! How to get that in organically without an information dump... to get the reader to care about the character, understand and feel a part of their world with just enough information.

[L.P.]

Details. Details. Details. My books tend towards 'scene set-up'. Where they are, what they're wearing, why this or that happened...details are tedious for me, and I really have to sit myself down and go at it until something is written - then I can go back later and refine it. It's where I am now with the sequel to my book...sigh...

[Karen]

Toughest for me: consistency! My rough drafts tend to have people die and then turn up alive, among other little glitches. . . . I need a one of those continuity people that work on movies to make sure people don't change clothes in mid-scene, and suchlike. :-)

[Harrison]

The hardest part is leaving it alone for a month before going back to edit.