Brainstorming. My nemesis.

I think most writers will tell you they have a favourite part of the writing process. Others will probably tell you they have a least favourite. I know I do.

My least favourite part is brainstorming. For me, coming up with ideas is hard and it’s the part of the process I dread, even if it’s just a little bit.

Why? After all, one might assume it’s easy to jot fresh ideas down on a piece of paper and go from there.

Well, I’ve never been much of an “ideas woman.” That may sound strange, coming from a writer. When faced with a blank slate, my mind starts to wander down dangerous paths. I start wondering if we have enough ice cream in the house, or whether or not I should spend a couple of hours searching for my new hero’s hairstyle on Pinterest. You see what I mean? It’s during the brainstorming part that I lose focus.

If someone gave me a prompt, I could run with it, even if it was something I might not prefer to write. For example, if you said, “Rosanna, I need you to write a story about a gargoyle who crochets blankets in his spare time,” I’d have that gargoyle’s backstory in no time. I’d invent family and friends for him. I’d know what he likes to eat. I’d know his name and birth sign and that he’s an expert in cathedral architecture (he is a gargoyle, after all.)

My difficulty is coming up with the gargoyle.

Eventually, I do get there. Obviously, I have come up with story ideas and I know I will again, but each new story creation  is an obstacle I have to surmount. It’s a challenge.

Challenges are good. You know, most of the time.

The challenge I’ve recently set for myself is to come up with a new paranormal romance idea. I can do this, right?

How about you? What is your favourite, or least favourite, part of the writing process?