Today I want to write again about this issue that’s been plaguing me for a few days. Sometimes words flow easily and I write and write. Other times, an issue can block the writing flow and it will spin around and around. Writing blocks depress me. I have so much I want to write about that to fall into this pit makes me frustrated. I feel I can’t move on until I resolve this. Here it is 19 days since I returned and I’m stuck on Day 6!
Writing this chapter is proving to be a huge challenge. I posted Day 5 four days ago. Usually I can get through a chapter in a matter of hours, or once in awhile, over a couple of days depending what else is going on. After all, some of it is already written as I journal during the trip. I just have to tighten up the writing and write it more as a story. I also use photos taken at the time to help me remember other aspects and the feel of what it was like when I was there.
Day 6 has my head spinning. (I wrote a little about this the other day.) One reason is because of the Chain of Rocks Bridge and the dilemma of where and how to add in the history segments. This was one of the biggest highlight in the entire trip and I’m stuck writing about it! It’s aggravating me to no end. I want to move on, but I also want the writing to convey my full experience at this place.
Yesterday’s issue was whether to write about the bridge as I initially experienced it, giving the reader the same experience as I had then doing the history segment as an added piece to the chapter. Or should I weave the history segments in with the story itself?
I posted to a writing group asking for feedback on the issue of the history segments. I received three responses advising to weave it in with the story and one to make the history a subchapter.
The advantage to weaving the history in with my personal story would break up the personal with the history and vice versa. When I was actually there, I had so many questions that were later answered when I did the heavy research. This way, the answer to those questions would be immediate to the reader.
On the other hand, would having the immediate answers take away from the personal experience of the journey? If my intent is to take the reader on the trip with me and letting them feel what I felt at that moment, then giving the answers away early isn’t allowing their “I felt I was on the journey with you” moments.
Yet another issue is, in the perusing of multiple websites and the storyboards at the actual site, I am finding they don’t all have the same claims. Some of the numbers are different like in the length of the bridge, the number of spans/trusses, and the degree in the bend. I’ve looked at so many websites my eyes are spinning. All I can do is apologize if I make any errors. I do the best I can.
And to add to all this, the Chain of Rocks Bridge wasn’t the only site visited that day. I’m usually only good for one stop a day but this day I explored three other places and need to give them their due, too.
So, back to it…
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