Facing writing difficulties is something every writer must do. How you face them determines whether or not you succeed.
No matter what struggles you may be having—and we all have them—one thing is true: If you want to make progress toward your writing dreams, you have to get clear on what you need to accomplish.
Here’s an easy way to do that. Identify a problem you’re facing right now in your writing life, decide you’ll solve it this year, and outline a plan to do so.
Problem #1: Not Having Enough Time to Write
This is a common writing problem, and we all tend to face it at one time or another. You may have found it to be particularly challenging last year (2020) with everything that was going on.
The solution is simpler than you may think. Consider this—there are two types of writers:
- those who make time to write,
- and those who complain because they can’t find the time to write.
The difference between the two? The first group makes writing a priority, usually one of their top three priorities every day. The second one doesn’t.
Overcoming Writing Difficulties: Sacrifice
If you’re having trouble finding time in your life to write, try making a sacrifice. Give something up. Instead of…
- checking your phone first thing in the morning, spend 15 minutes writing.
- watching an hour of television at night, take half that time to write.
- cooking dinner every night, get take-out two nights out of the week and use the time you saved to write.
- driving to work every day, carpool with someone else or take public transportation and use that time to write.
- perusing your social media over your lunch hour, eat while you write.
- sleeping in Sunday morning, get up 30 minutes earlier and write.
You get the idea. Find something you do daily and replace it with writing.
Will you solve this writing problem this year? Make writing one of your top three priorities and you will.
Problem #2: Not Being Consistent in Building Your Platform
It can be difficult enough to make time in your busy life to write. How are you supposed to make time to build a platform, too?
This problem needs to be solved because as long as it persists, your work won’t get the attention it deserves. The solution is to get your name and your work in front of more people as often as you can.
How do you do that?
Overcoming Writing Difficulties: Be Consistent
- Blog consistently and share your posts. (Make sure your blogs serve your reader.)
- Guest post on other blogs.
- Be a guest on a podcast.
- Post helpful videos for your readers on YouTube.
- Build your email list with a helpful giveaway for subscribers.
- Build up your followers on social media.
- Join together with other writers to run a special on your books.
- Offer webinars online and invite your readers to come.
You get the idea. To get your books on more “to-read” lists, you need to be doing these types of activities consistently. Making the time is challenging, but the writer who manages to do it is the writer who enjoys a growing readership.
How will you solve this problem?
Overcoming Writing Difficulties: Approach Your Planning with a Long-Term View
My solution is to plan my platform-building activities on a weekly/monthly basis. Whereas I have a daily writing practice, I have a weekly blogging practice, a quarterly giveaway practice, and a bi-monthly guest-blogging practice. For example:
- Once a week: I write and post a blog, and create and send out my e-newsletters (I have two).
- Once a month: I send out invitations for other authors to appear on my websites.
- Once every two months: I write, pitch, and place a guest post on another blog.
- Once every quarter: I produce a new subscriber “freebie.”
- Around book launches: I speak on podcasts by request, but also when promoting a book or course.
- Once a year: I survey my readers and use their feedback to create a project plan for the next year.
This is just a snapshot of my process, but it may give you some ideas. It’s not too difficult to write a blog post once a week, for example, or to spend Saturday once a month sending out guest post submissions or introducing yourself to podcast hosts.
To solve this problem, get out your calendar and find a way to work consistently toward your platform-building goals. (If you struggle to follow through and finish your platform-building projects, this eCourse may help: “How to Finish the Creative Projects You Start.“)
Problem #3: Not Building on Your Strengths
Answer this: What are your writing weaknesses?
Maybe you need help with characterization, your dialogue isn’t realistic, or your pacing is too slow. Whatever it is, I’m willing to bet you can name your top three weaknesses right now.
How about this: What are your writing strengths? Do you know?
If so, congratulations. You’re ahead of most writers! If not, it’s time to fix that problem this year, because your best path to future success is to a) identify your strengths and b) build on them.
There’s nothing wrong with working on your weaknesses, but if that’s all you do, you’ll never reach your highest potential.
Overcoming Writing Difficulties: Start from your strengths.
Imagine a child with natural musical talent and one without. Both of the children’s parents enroll them in music lessons. As long as both work equally hard, it’s likely the more talented child will progress faster and further to eventually stand out as a high-level musician.
When you start from a high point—your strengths—you have the chance to go even higher, and that’s your ticket to standing out in a competitive market.
This year, solve this problem by figuring out what your writing strengths are. Write them down and place them somewhere you can see them to remind yourself to capitalize on what you do well. If you need help, analyze the feedback you’ve gotten on your writing (from editors, readers, contests, etc.) and go from there.
Note: You can also find more help building your author platform in Writer Get Noticed! Click here to get your free chapter along with a free goal-setting guide for 2021!
What writing problem will you solve this year?