The Obstacles All Writers Must Overcome

No one said that writers have it easy! Let’s face it the road for many is long and bumpy. But if you can prepare yourself for the obstacles you have to face you have a much better chance of being able to overcome them.

So let’s take a look at some of the most common hurdles writers must get over, and how they can tackle them head on.

Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is probably the No1. bugbear for all writers. We can’t help but feel as though we are kidding ourselves, we are our own biggest critics, we lose faith, we teeter on the brink of giving up, we become fearful that we’ll never be good enough or that we’ll run out of ideas.

What’s good to remember is that pretty much every writer experiences this, so at least misery loves company! To tackle self-doubt we must try to remind ourselves that there are plenty of successful writers’s out there who struggled to become so for many years, and suffered many setbacks, but in the end it is perseverance and never giving up on one’s dreams that go them to where they are today (at the top of the bestseller lists). Therefore you just need to keep moving forward and you could see all your dreams come true too.

Criticism from others

All writers are going to be told their writing isn’t good enough (in whatever capacity this might be) at one point or another. Someone might leave you a bad review or you may have a friend or relative critique your work only to find out it wasn’t really their ‘cup of tea.’

Whatever criticism you face you must remember that it is impossible to please everyone. Some people won’t like your writing. it’s as simple as that. Does this mean your writing is worthless and awful? Of course not! There are as many potential fans out there as there are haters -you’ve just got to find them.

Self-Discipline

Writing consistently takes huge amounts of self-discipline. Writing is like a muscle and needs to be exercised regularly in order to be kept in the best condition. Many writers find themselves struggling to keep up with their writing.

In order to be a successful writer, you need to be strict with yourself. Make a writing timetable and stick to it, even if you have to sacrifice other things in your life - if you make time for your writing you will see a massive difference when it comes to how much you achieve and improve.

Writer’s Block

Many writers’s suffer from writer's block which can feel truly debilitating at times. Running out of ideas of getting stuck halfway through a story is a real worry for many writers.

If you get writer’s block try putting aside your project for a while and working on something else. Try free writing, or even going for a good walk to clear your head can be a helpful option too!

Rejection

It is incredibly rare for a writer to go through their career without suffering a rejection. For most writers rejection happens throughout their writing life.

Rejection can be crushing but it’s something we must learn to accept and to recover from as quickly as possible. Just remember that some of the most famous authors in the world were rejected (and even scorned) initially - it just took one person to give them a chance, and that could happen to you too!

Competition

There is so much competition out there these days that often writers can feel completely overwhelmed. How can they possibly expect their book to get noticed amongst the millions of others?

Luckily there is plenty you can do to market your book and give it the best chance of being seen by your target audience and getting it to stand out from the crowd. Read up on what you can do to boost your book sales, try everything once and see what works for you.

And last but not least...

Low Pay

If you’re in the writing game to get rich quick chances are you’ll be sorely disappointed.

Most writers accept the fact that this is not how they are going to make their fortune - but they do it anyway simply for the love of it!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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