What is the greatest challenge you face as a writer? How are you working to overcome it?
24 thoughts on “Reader Friday: Your Greatest Challenge?”
These days my greatest challenge is overcoming the fear of writer’s block. I fear it so much, I don’t even sit at the computer with the intent to write. It’s become a phobia of sorts. So I basically think of my story in my head. It plays out and I like it, but I can’t bring myself to the keyboard and have the thoughts of my story at the same time.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Forgot the second question.
Discipline.
By sneaking up on my writing. I don’t say, “Amanda, every day at 10:30 you must sit down at your desk and write.”
Instead, I get out of bed and say HA! I’m going to write at 8 am and then go golfing!
Seems to work for me, so far.
Perfectionism.
My revisions are taking way too long because I need to make each scene perfect.
My biggest issue is two fold:
1. Being so busy between day job and recording audiobooks to squeeze in the hours to write.
2. Once in the work of writing – stopping rather than staying up till 4 am and being late for work and tired all day.
3. Not letting my mind wander while writing
Erm, boss?
Yes Berthold?
You said two fold, but folded three times.
Yes, exactly.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pick, like, only one? Resistance, in all its sneaky forms.
Time is a tough one (with a full-time job plus other full-time commitments). AND – in my current WIP – I just plain got stuck – right in the darn middle. I know how it ends. I thought I knew the beginning (now I’m wondering if I should start about 40,000 words in – but that could just be me procrastinating the middle again).
I decided that I needed to exercise my brain and creativity. I needed some WD-40 for the brain. So I started blogging actively over the last couple of months. I’m hoping that it will work it self out as I keep on massaging and working its sore self. So far it has been really helping with the creative juices. Now, I just have to get back to the story and get the darn thing figured out!
Stick with your story. You’ll learn how to get out of that painted corner if you work it through. It helps me to talk it out with a patient listener. Often this person doesn’t come up with your solution. Generally YOU do as you’re describing your issue. Your brain will come up with it and say, “neener, neener.” Good luck.
Thanks Jordan. Will do. 😀
Writing everyday. I tend to get wound up in the Internet or marketing. I’ve tried a lot of things. Sadly, guilting myself seems to work the best.
Being a consistent writer. I tend to write in spurts. I’ll get an idea and sit and bang it out or work and work on it. But then a week goes by and I haven’t written a thing. To help make me a more consistent writer I now set my alarm to go off at 7AM everyday. My job then is to get out of bed, no food, no changing clothes no social media no anything else but sit at the computer and work on the project. It’s not 100% but practicing that regiment has greatly increased the volume of my work. (and I hope the quality)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Tjanks for that article, Basil. I was actually more productive when I had a day job. Beware having endless time to surf the Internet, lol.
Uh, I meant “tHAnks”. Sheesh!
Basil, thank you for the link. I’m in the same state as these other folks. Gotta get my self in the chair and my hands on the keyboard.
Like many unpublished writers I have a full-time and part-time job, my full-time job is not a in the writing field. I’m also busy trying to build my resume, working with our local writers group steering committee for our 2015 writers conference, planning an author event with a smaller writers group and attending workshops and taking classes to advance my career. Not counting my large family and other commitments. What am I doing to over come it? A simple notebook. I bring a spiral notebook with me, a jot down character ideas, plot twists, even scenes, until I can get to the computer. I don’t have access at work. This keeps my story flowing and cuts writing and editing time.
My utter lack of time management skills. That and my current financial fears and worries. Combined, the two leave me a twitching mass in my chair . . . oh, is that a cat video?
My major problem is an inability to finish a novel. I get to a certain number of pages and get depressed about it and can’t write another word on that project.
I’m working on it by not giving up, getting determined to finish my current project no matter what.
Will it happen? I don’t know.
Finding a marketer who will not just take my money, but who will ake it and then do me some good.
For me, it’s the fear that the maze I weave in my stories won’t make sense in the end.
These days my greatest challenge is overcoming the fear of writer’s block. I fear it so much, I don’t even sit at the computer with the intent to write. It’s become a phobia of sorts. So I basically think of my story in my head. It plays out and I like it, but I can’t bring myself to the keyboard and have the thoughts of my story at the same time.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Forgot the second question.
Discipline.
By sneaking up on my writing. I don’t say, “Amanda, every day at 10:30 you must sit down at your desk and write.”
Instead, I get out of bed and say HA! I’m going to write at 8 am and then go golfing!
Seems to work for me, so far.
Perfectionism.
My revisions are taking way too long because I need to make each scene perfect.
My biggest issue is two fold:
1. Being so busy between day job and recording audiobooks to squeeze in the hours to write.
2. Once in the work of writing – stopping rather than staying up till 4 am and being late for work and tired all day.
3. Not letting my mind wander while writing
Erm, boss?
Yes Berthold?
You said two fold, but folded three times.
Yes, exactly.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Pick, like, only one?
Resistance, in all its sneaky forms.
Time is a tough one (with a full-time job plus other full-time commitments).
AND – in my current WIP – I just plain got stuck – right in the darn middle. I know how it ends. I thought I knew the beginning (now I’m wondering if I should start about 40,000 words in – but that could just be me procrastinating the middle again).
I decided that I needed to exercise my brain and creativity. I needed some WD-40 for the brain. So I started blogging actively over the last couple of months. I’m hoping that it will work it self out as I keep on massaging and working its sore self. So far it has been really helping with the creative juices. Now, I just have to get back to the story and get the darn thing figured out!
Stick with your story. You’ll learn how to get out of that painted corner if you work it through. It helps me to talk it out with a patient listener. Often this person doesn’t come up with your solution. Generally YOU do as you’re describing your issue. Your brain will come up with it and say, “neener, neener.” Good luck.
Thanks Jordan. Will do. 😀
Writing everyday. I tend to get wound up in the Internet or marketing. I’ve tried a lot of things. Sadly, guilting myself seems to work the best.
Being a consistent writer. I tend to write in spurts. I’ll get an idea and sit and bang it out or work and work on it. But then a week goes by and I haven’t written a thing. To help make me a more consistent writer I now set my alarm to go off at 7AM everyday. My job then is to get out of bed, no food, no changing clothes no social media no anything else but sit at the computer and work on the project. It’s not 100% but practicing that regiment has greatly increased the volume of my work. (and I hope the quality)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Can I get some eggs with this spam?
That cracked me up, Terri! 😉
Here’s an Excellent Article here that kind of addresses what a lot of people are bringing up here. Making the time to pursue your passion is the most important thing you can do.
Tjanks for that article, Basil. I was actually more productive when I had a day job. Beware having endless time to surf the Internet, lol.
Uh, I meant “tHAnks”. Sheesh!
Basil, thank you for the link. I’m in the same state as these other folks. Gotta get my self in the chair and my hands on the keyboard.
Like many unpublished writers I have a full-time and part-time job, my full-time job is not a in the writing field. I’m also busy trying to build my resume, working with our local writers group steering committee for our 2015 writers conference, planning an author event with a smaller writers group and attending workshops and taking classes to advance my career. Not counting my large family and other commitments. What am I doing to over come it? A simple notebook. I bring a spiral notebook with me, a jot down character ideas, plot twists, even scenes, until I can get to the computer. I don’t have access at work. This keeps my story flowing and cuts writing and editing time.
My utter lack of time management skills. That and my current financial fears and worries. Combined, the two leave me a twitching mass in my chair . . . oh, is that a cat video?
My major problem is an inability to finish a novel. I get to a certain number of pages and get depressed about it and can’t write another word on that project.
I’m working on it by not giving up, getting determined to finish my current project no matter what.
Will it happen? I don’t know.
Finding a marketer who will not just take my money, but who will ake it and then do me some good.
For me, it’s the fear that the maze I weave in my stories won’t make sense in the end.