7 Common Obstacles All New Writers Encounter
Hello! My name is Kevin, and I am your friend ^_^
It's without a doubt that most of you will or already have stumbled upon these problems when you first started your writing journey. Don't worry, you're not alone. We all are going through the same thing. It can be quite the struggle, but overcoming these obstacles is one of the best feelings ever. Obviously, there are many obstacles we face as writers, and some might be unique to other people. So, I will be telling you all some of the more common ones. Here's my list of 7 obstacles that newbie writers might just run into.
#1 Finding Ideas:
Sure, you have plenty of ideas for stories that you want to share with the world! That's why you're a writer after all. But sometimes we think our ideas aren't good enough. Or once you've already started writing about your idea, you realize that there's no way you can make a story out of it. You might enjoy it, but you ask yourself if others will see it the way you do. What I say about this 'problem' is screw it, write it anyway! You'll never know if it's a good story until you've completely finished writing the story. And no need to be always looking for ideas. Most of the best ideas come out of nowhere or from something completely simple. So, don't worry, and write away!
#2 Writer’s Block:
The dreaded writer's block. You might think you're never going to get it, but it catches up to EVERYONE! Yeah, when just started writing your book, ideas are flowing out of your noggin like a waterfall. And then boom! Feels like you just hit your head smack into a brick wall. You try to write the next scene, but it just doesn't feel right to you. You don't know what to write next. You become frustrated and it feels as if your brain just short-circuited. So, you stop writing entirely for the day. You think that it's just a phase and that the ideas will just start flowing back sooner than later. Yes, and no. When you experience writer's block, you don't want to give up and stop writing for the day. In some cases that might be helpful, but the most effective way to defeat writer's block is to keep on writing! Think of it like this; when you have writer's block, you think that all you're writing is junk. Well, to get rid of all that junk, you have to keep writing! Write away all of that junk. That backspace and the delete button will be your friend. And soon enough, you'll be writing gold mines! Trust me, the days I do have writer's block, I would write all the junk out, and I would end up getting over 3 thousand words in and a scene/chapter finished. So, don't give up when you get writer's block. Just keep writing! It is what we do after all.
#3 Haters:
Ah, haters. It's a love and hate relationship. But, in all honesty, we need them. It shows that people are actually watching us, haha. Haters can be a great source of motivation and inspiration, it just depends on how we use it. Though, they can be annoying A LOT. How many times have you heard from a hater, "You write books? That's so lame." Or, "You write books? No one even reads books anymore." (FYI: over a million ebooks on average are sold on a daily basis) Or even, "You're an author? You'll never be the next Stephen King." Who said I wanted to be the next Stephen King? Although, that would be pretty cool. In the end, it depends on how you use the haters. Will you let it bring you down? Or will you use it as fuel to push you further? It is really nice rubbing your success against the hater's faces. But, remember to always be humble and thank your haters for always being there.
#4 Outlining/Storyline:
It is essential to have your outlining figured out and done before you begin writing. Some unique writers don't even need it and can write an amazing story without ever having an outline to begin with. But, this is very rare and difficult to do. So, I would highly advise having an outline of your story. It can be as short or as long as you want. Heck, my outlines are only a couple pages. It's so that you have a foundation or 'map' for your story. The reason why I put this on my list as an obstacle is because it's easy to go off track from your set outline/storyline. Your plan could be to write about something, but instead, you end up writing about something else. You then look at your outline and see that the scene is not on there. I'm here to tell you that it's okay. It's okay to go off your outline a little bit. Your outline is simply there to guide you. If you randomly come up with an amazing idea but it's not on your outline, find a way to fit it in! In the end, your outline is just a guide, a reference. Let your new amazing ideas upgrade your story!
#5 Finding Other Writers:
I have to admit, most of the time we feel lonely. We feel as if we're the only writers in the world (we're definitely not, trust me). But, believe it or not, the writing community is pretty big. There are plenty of writers out there, which means plenty of competition. I know what you're wondering, "But Kev, I've never met any writers in the real world besides myself." Sure you have! You just need to look deeper and ask. Let them know that you're a writer too! Don't be afraid. I too thought that I was alone, but there's plenty of writers around you. A handful of my friends in school want to write books as well. Even my former English teacher (now a librarian) writes books! When we talked about it, it only brought our relationship much closer. Don't be afraid to share and talk about your passion. You'll meet plenty of writers just like yourself in the real world. And when you do, you won't feel alone anymore, and it will make writing (and life) much more fun and exciting!
#6 Editing:
Ugh, editing. At first, it might seem fun. Finding mistakes in your writing and making your story better. But, your story isn't going to be looking good after just a coupe self-edits. You have to edit your story at least a hundred times! Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. The point is, if you want your book to look good, you have to go back and edit it over and over again (then send your baby to a professional editor just to have them rip it to shreds even more). Doing this process over and over again will make you sick of looking at your book. That's when you know it's almost ready. It's a tough and boring process, but it's one of the most important things you need to do for your book.
#7 Finding/Managing Time to Write:
Some people say you have to write every single day to get better at writing. Some say you have to write every single moment of your life! I say, if it's a priority, you'll find a way to incorporate writing into your everyday life. You don't have to slave away on your computer, always typing word after word. Writing is supposed to be fun and not a chore. After all, that's why we're all doing this; because we love it! We love to write! We're writers! You don't have to force yourself to be writing all the time. At the same time, don't start writing then stop for a few weeks. Write when YOU want to. And when you do write, make it count and worthwhile. It's always good to be writing a lot and on a regular basis. It really does make you a better writer and will sharpen your writing skills. Like I said; if writing truly is your passion and you truly love it, you'll make it a priority and will find time for it.
That's my list of 7 common obstacles all new writers encounter. Obviously, there are plenty more challenges we writers face and soon will face. Too much to write about. But, let me know if you want more blog posts like this one and which topics I should cover. Thank you so much for everyone's support! Go check out the covers for my 3 horror books and read their blurbs on my website (link in bio). Make sure to follow me on my social media accounts to stay updated on my book release, information, content, and much more! Thank you all again so much and have a lovely day! Peace!
