bedeviled by labored writing and slack direction 
(ROOT (VP (VBN bedeviled) (PP (IN by) (NP (NP (VBN labored) (NN writing)) (CC and) (NP (NN slack) (NN direction))))))
(ROOT (VP (VBN ) (PP (IN ) (NP (NP (VBN ) (NN )) (CC ) (NP (NN ) (NN ))))))