Overcoming Obstacles

As writers, we are no stranger to the occasional inspiration blockage or difficulty in starting a new scene. There are pitfalls scattered everywhere in writing. Those come from within and are easily curable. The biggest problem you will face is the external obstacles that are created by others. Springing up as if from nowhere, blindsiding you as you turn a corner, these hurdles can send a writer flat on their face and for some, they don’t recover.

Never fear, help is here! To assist you out of the proverbial hole, I have amassed a list of the biggest problems writers face from other people and how you can conquer them!

Unsupportive Family and Friends: Is there a Negative Nancy within your circle? Do they pester and bother you about how your dreams of being published are unrealistic? Tune them out. Without doing a psychological evaluation on why they do this, just ignore unsupportive people. Wade through the muck and locate the people around you who believe in your dream as well.

Beta Reader Doesn’t Like Your Book:  After your beta reader finishes your story, you discover they don’t like it. While that’s unfortunate, it’s not the end of the world. You just happened to pick someone who wasn’t right for your story. Remember: there are billions of other readers.

No One Wants to Read Your Book: If you search for a beta reader, or critique partner, anyone to help you with feedback and you can’t locate anyone, it’s time to widen your search. This doesn’t mean that no one will like your book. What it means is that you haven’t found them yet. Take to the web or to school, or work- someone will help.

Computer Virus: These hit at unknown times and I am all too familiar with the panic of “What about my story!?” To protect yourself, get a jump drive and save your work remotely so if something awful befalls your computer, your work is safe.

-In the case of you hardcopy writers, be sure to lock away your notepad or journal in a fire and waterproof location like a safe.

Scathing Review:  This is for my indie friends– When you get your story up on the internet for all to see and someone leaves you a nasty, ill hearted review, you have to shake it off. The internet provides a curtain for nasty people to be ten-times worse than they would be in real life. Ignore it and try your best to bounce back.

Multiple Rejections: This is for my queriers– The path to publication is paved with rejections. Every author, from Hemingway to your next door neighbor, has dealt with rejection letters. It’s bound to happen so grow a thick skin and keep on querying until you find the person who loves your story as much as you do!

The sentiment for these issues is generally the same. Keep doing what you love, regardless of the naysayers. Not everyone is going to think your book is as amazing as you do, that’s the beauty of stories- everyone has a different opinion.

These are only a few of the most common incidents you might run into, but each writer’s journey is different. What is the biggest obstacle you had to overcome? How did you do it?