AROUND THE BLOCK         

Theme: Persistence 
Episode Number: 593 
Writer: Nathan Hoobler 
Sound Designer: Jonathan Crowe 
Scripture: Romans 5:3-4 
Album: #46: A Date with Dad (and other Calamities) 
Last Air Date: 05/07/2006 
Original Air Date: 5/6/06 
Summary: Connie has been working on her book for several weeks now, but she's stuck on the chapter about Eugene...still. She can't figure out why the first two chapters came so easily, but the third has been so frustrating. Eugene has some suggestions for helping Connie get over her "writer's block." He ventures that part of Connie's problem is distraction, and so takes her up to the attic so she can direct her full concentration toward writing.

Complete silence turns out to be more of a distraction for Connie than her original distractions, and her solitude is soon interrupted when Marvin comes in, looking for advice about a situation at school. The situation reminds Connie of a similar experience she had at school, and so she tells Marvin the story.

Eugene suggests another method for defeating writer's block...mathematical motivation. So, that night, Connie sits in Whit's office desperately trying to come up with 400 words for the day. Whit walks in and Connie reluctantly tells him about her project. Connie asks him to read her chapter and give suggestions. After reading it, Whit suggests that Connie's book could use more structure. Discouraged, Connie decides that maybe this is God's way of telling her to quit writing, and she announces that she won't be writing her book anymore.

Even an inaccurate review of Odyssey based on Rusty Gordon's degrading book about the town can't make Connie reconsider. However, when Marvin tells her that her story and advice really helped him at school, she decides to go talk to Whit. Whit says since she's sure that God wanted her to write the book in the first place, He'll give Connie the strength she needs to do it, even if it’s difficult. Connie resolves that she will write the book, and they pray for inspiration. However, they are interrupted by an exuberant Eugene, who has overcome his own mental block on a recent project. Connie has an epiphany, and is suddenly able to overcome her writer's block, even if it is only for a short time. But with new determination and the knowledge that God blesses those who show diligence in their hard work, Connie buckles down and resumes work on her novel.