Yeah, it's definitely NOT the great american novel. I guess I should mention that I had to be drug kicking and screaming into my 4th step, my fear of it was SO great! Once I got through it and experienced the relief that comes from it I was kicking myself. Why did I wait so long (I was about 6 months sober when I finally finished it).
What I share in meetings now when this comes up is that to me the 4th step isn't about beating the crap out of yourself for the horrible person you are. It is a fact finding mission to find out your behaviors, attitudes, and actions that have caused you misery. It is to root out faulty ways of thinking that harm ourselves and others so that we can then make amends for what we've done and most importantly stop repeating the behaviors that got us there in the first place.
One other thing, be honest and thorough to the best of your ability but know that if something gets inadvertently left off you CAN go back and do a mini-fourth step on it later on. I've been sober for almost 2 1/2 years and I've already been through another 4th step earlier this year because there were things that continued to be problems for me and also new issues that had come up that were causing problems.
Finally, pray before you write. I don't think it is uncommon at all for people to write in spurts because it can be draining to relive all that stuff. Keep a pad of paper handy to jot down anything that may come to mind in between your writing sessions. I asked my HP to reveal to me what I needed to address and he did.
Good luck and keep plugging away at it. You are so worth it!
Hugs,
Kellye