3 Writing Challenges All Writers Face (and How to Overcome Them)

3 Writing Challenges All Writers Face (and How to Overcome Them)

Being a writer and loving what you do is precious. You perceive the world differently and can make people laugh, cry, and re-assess their lives with the power of storytelling. However, it’s clear that writers meet challenges along the way, and some of them are tough to overcome alone.

To prove that you’re not a sole victim, we recommend reading about the three main writing challenges and how to go through them as soon as possible. The problems will come and go, and you have to know how to act once a writer’s block or sales anxiety hits.

3 Main Writing Challenges and Solutions to Them

Brace yourself for a cruise through writers’ crises and ways out of them.

1. Writer’s Block

Of course, the most common problem that hits in the worst timing is writer’s block. You don’t feel like continuing the book anytime soon, getting only vague ideas or none at all. Motivation and productivity drop; words just don’t sound well together.

It’s a temporary issue but if not addressed quickly, it may make your love for writing fade. One block can instill the fear of another one, making you constantly anxious about setting deadlines.

The best solutions are:

• Having a good rest.
  Oftentimes, the block appears because of burnout and exhaustion. Take a couple of days off, sleep well, eat nutritious food, go for a walk. In a word, get distracted and relax.
• Do a light workout.
  A sedentary lifestyle due to work slows blood flow, which can impact creativity. A light workout every other day will get you back in shape, creativity-wise and physically.
• Read a lot.
  Read articles and books on any topic. A random association, phrase, or word can give birth to a new idea in your head.

2. Getting Real Clients

“There are so many writers; all the clients are already working with someone.” If this thought has ever crossed your mind, it’s time to work on it. Writers don’t want just any clients; they need someone who will pay for the value.

Most writers go through this stage, and it may be dangerous as any other fear. When afraid, you don’t make progress, which causes stagnation and loss of passion for what you do.

The best solutions: 

• Think about something special you may offer to potential clients that no other writer has;
• Take advantage of useful guest-posting services that will help you find real clients who are ready to pay;
• Make yourself known through social media, a personal website, blog, portfolio, writing samples, small stories, etc.
• When contacting potential clients, try offering your services for double the amount of money you initially wanted to charge. It sounds weird, but this approach often brings unexpected results.

3. Lack of Confidence

One of the most critical challenges for a writer is the lack of confidence. You can be an incredibly creative person with stories that could become the second Harry Potter series, but if you don’t value yourself, no one will.

Such people never aim to publish the articles and their books; they are constantly under an attack of “what if” questions. “What if they laugh at me? What if I fail? What if all potential clients ignore me?”

Stop the flow of questions for a moment and use one of the following solutions:

• Act.
  Even if you’re afraid, get things done. Complete that chapter, send a sample for approval, contact that blogger and offer your guest post. Nothing bad will happen anyway. You may get an approval or a rejection as a chance to check out the next opportunity.
• Visit your inner self.
  Think less about the outside and turn to your inner self. Meditate, do breathing practices, take up self-improvement, and clear your mind.
• Stop caring about what others think.
  This may sound arrogant but follow us: it’s not about what others think; it’s about you and your career opportunities. People will talk, they will say writing won’t bring you profit, and none of your stories are good enough. But it’s your life, and you should decide what to do.

Building confidence is crucial for any career, as well as all other aspects of your life.

Improve Your Stress Resistance for the Next Challenge

If now everything is fine, you’re writing every day and getting attention to your craft from potential buyers. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work on stress resistance. Success is also stressful and may trigger one of the aforementioned challenges, hurting your feelings and work.

You have to be ready for anything and react calmly to changes in your mood or productivity. Remember that there’s a solution for every crisis and that nothing is permanent. The storm will come to an end, leaving only serenity.

Nancy P. Howard has been working as a journalist at the online magazine in London for a year.
She is also a professional writer in such topics as blogging, SEO and marketing.