The Challenge of a Problem
Here is another piece of advice I always give to aspiring authors.
Early in my writing career, one of my biggest problems was composing descriptive paragraphs - where the author has to convey a visual image of location and atmosphere within a story. I adore writing dialogue, but I balked at descriptions. However, as those passages were necessary to creating a fully realized novel, I plugged away at the problem, not always enjoying the process.
And then one day a friend said to me, "Barbara, you should replace the word 'problem' with the word 'challenge.'" I wasn't sure what she meant, or how that would make a difference in my writing, but I took her advice and altered my mindset. Every time I thought problem I changed it to challenge. And sure enough, after a while, it began to make a difference! Although I still had to struggle with those descriptive paragraphs, I no longer saw them as a chore.
I will give you an example. In my newest book, Woman of A Thousand Secrets (September 2008, St. Martin's Press), it was necessary to place the reader in the Mayan city of Palenque. Here is what I wrote:
The ancient city dominated a region known as Eastern Chiapán, where rugged highlands overlooked a heavily forested coastal plain. Here was the western edge of Mayan influence. Beyond, in the snow-capped mountains of Chiapán, people did not speak Mayan, they kept different calendars and worshipped foreign gods.
The city itself, comprising myriad buildings, structures and dwellings, occupied a unique setting at the base of thickly forested hills that rose suddenly from the flat coastal plain. Massive stone buildings appeared abruptly against a backdrop of dense green trees, with morning mist hanging low to add an atmosphere of mystery and otherworldliness. That the city, like Copan and much of Tikal, had been deserted for centuries was apparent, and while the original blood-red stucco and bright blue ornamentation remained in but a few places, Ixchel voiced her surprise to find the plaza and temples in such a state of neglect. Was she that old?
The paragraph was work, yes, and it took a lot of time and research. However, whereas at one time I might have had a "problem" with this paragraph, my change of attitude by regarding it as a "challenge" actually made the work fun.
Try this yourself and see if it doesn't work. Why does it work? Because problems are overwhelming and hold us back. Challenges are encouraging and push us forward.
Today, I actually enjoy tackling descriptive paragraphs because I have always enjoyed a challenge. Looking back, I am amazed at how perspective can bring rewards: to view something as a problem is negative, but to view it as a challenge is positive. And positives pave the road to success.
