Your Current No. 1 Writing Obstacle
Posted by David Duhr in 
Discussion questions: What is currently the most prominent obstacle standing between you and your writing goal(s)? Let us know below.
A few weeks ago I told you about how six weeks had gone by since I last worked on my novel. In the comments, many of you shared your own current struggles with motivation, time management, and setting priorities. It was a good conversation.
And probably not coincidentally, I’m writing again. My novel characters have been resurrected and are back to being in motion, making awful decisions and being all-around A-holes. (Including to me, but hey.)
Sometimes what you really have to do is give voice to a problem — identify it, put it into words, share those words with others — before you’re ready to face it down.
I want to give you the same opportunity here this week: Identify your problem, put it into words, and share those words. Here, among friends and fellow writers, some of whom are likely facing that same problem.
In the comments, tell us about the no. 1 obstacle you’re currently facing with your writing; the one most major hurdle standing between you and the achievement of your writing goal(s).
Maybe… just maybe… merely stating the problem in public will help get you ready to address it. Even if it might take a couple of weeks, like with me and my novel.
And while you’re here, why not help someone else out with his/her own writing obstacle. If you’ve been through what someone else here has been through and you’ve lived to tell the tale, well, tell the tale!
I’m not going to say we’re all in this together. But we are all in this. So let’s have some togetherness.
WriteByNight co-founder David Duhr is fiction editor at the Texas Observer and co-host of the Yak Babies podcast, and has written about books for the Dallas Morning News, Electric Literature, Publishing Perspectives, and others.
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I’m not writing this month since I’m deep into editing three books and preparing for NaNoWriMo where I hope to get the biggest part of the third book in my Jillian series written. I’m blocking it out this week so all I’ll need to do is write it. I’m also doing a lot of updates to my website, FB, Pinterest and my E-mail list. I’m actually spending money on a few ads for the book in hopes of making something of a splash with it (or at least a small ripple) when I put it up there. Yeah, I’m finally… Read more »
So you’re intentionally not writing. A writing hiatus, so you can focus on other writing-related activities. That’s good. I know the marketing stuff has been something of a thorn in your side for a while, so I’m glad to hear you’re attacking it.
Correct. I’m intentionally not writing on a book this month. I’m editing as that is where my hold up in publishing is. I’m concentrating on marketing and preparing for the craziness of NaNoWriMo next month. There are times when you have to look at what you are doing and change to make things work.
The other thing I didn’t put down is that I’m actually working on a “master plan” for what I want to accomplish. I’m breaking it down into bite sized steps so I can be more productive and still have a life.
A master plan of your various books and how you want to approach the writing, publishing, and marketing of them all? I think that’s a wonderful idea.
Presently I had spine surgery, can’t sit long periods of time, this blog has been a life saver for my mental status. Luckily, I’m healing and back to my novel. Thanks to all the prayers and good wishes, not to mention the great neurosurgeon.
So all this time we’ve been interacting on this blog lately, you’ve been recuperating from spinal surgery? Good lord. I’m glad you’re recovering well, at least. Not being able to sit for very long is definitely an obstacle for a writer!
I can whine that I don’t have enough time; all the yard work, cooking, chores, painting, having to spend time with the wife watching too much TV, reading, cats, Quora, RBN, Photoshop problems, promotion problems, my office is a mess, and because of surgery last year and knee, hip and back issues so I’m way behind on everything with the house and yard, but it’s me. I avoid sitting on my butt, working on novels and stories, and even when I’m in the chair, do emails, FB, and god help me; sat up watching cat videos. I blame it all… Read more »
But it seems like even when you’re going through a lull, you’re still producing. Didn’t we talk a few weeks ago about something similar? I remember you saying you were doing too many things other than writing, but still had written eight pages or something. That’s nothing to spit at.
Have you ever tried one of those Internet-lockout programs? I haven’t, but I know some people who use them religiously. And if you’re prone to sitting down to write but then emailing and facebooking and cat-videoing instead, maybe it’s something to consider.
That’s just a symptom. As far as not having the internet available, that would be bad since I rely on it for research, translations, pronunciation, spelling (sometimes it more convenient and fruitful than Spellcheck.) Good idea though. My lulls are short term, a day or two; I force myself. Having deadlines, even self-imposed ones, helps
But those spellings and the research, etc., none of that has to be done in the moment, does it? You can highlight stuff as you go, and then when you’re done with a writing session, turn the internet back on and revisit those highlighted passages.
that would work if I didn’t start obsessing on it, or if it was a check this now, because it will change the plot and unfortunately, that’s how my brain works. I’m left handed and set in my ways. The fact I don’t grind out 10 pages a day like King, is disappointing, but 5 to 8 or 10 pages a week is still a book a year.
I have this book in my head, and I have the major scenes written out. Plot points , characters, story arc. But I don’t know how to get from one scene to the next. I’ve been doing a lot of reading of novels, noting where they transition between scenes, where and how they introduce motivation. Dialogue interests me, more than a character’s internal thinking. So I’ve been pondering how to flesh out those transitions, but not actually writing them! I’ve written a ton of short stories, but this story wants to be a novel. I don’t have experience in that,… Read more »
The technical stuff has been like: Here’s my hypothesis, here’s how I tested my hypothesis, Step A, step B, etc., and here are my results, and a conclusion. I don’t put my zillions of thoughts and ponderings and motivations and sidetracks and mistakes into my technical writing.
So, maybe that’s what I’m missing? Those thoughts and mistakes and side tracks?
You can’t have a story without a goal or conflict, even if the main character,(the hero) doesn’t know what his goal is and even if all the conflict is internal. Learn your characters really well and their relationships and that will give you some direction. What is my character’s goal and what is his first step,even if it’s backwards and why? Who or what opposes or interferes, and why? Write your first chapter as a short story? (To get you started) Does you hero have enough legs to carry a novel? For the first draft, don’t try to be perfect… Read more »
I have attended several ‘Writer’s Retreats’ and conferences which have helped tremendously. Check your area for when these are presented. Also “Writer’s Digest’ has some classes offered on line.
What’s the saying…something to the effect of “Everyone contains 3 people, the one you present to the public, the one you present to your close circle, and the one that you never show to anyone”…like David Lemke said, get to know your characters…you can always have one show a side of themself that wasn’t expected…boom, instant conflict…just ask anyone who’s ever been in a long-term relationship…
I just had a character do something expected; he slammed the binoculars down on a rock. He was shocked at his action and so was I, but it opened a doorway to why. Before that it was a boring waiting scene.
Boom, instant conflict. I am going to remember that.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing to remember, SusanH?
It is a good thing, KevinW, if it is referring to revitalizing a character, but a bad thing if we are talking about incendiaries or big red balloons.
Reminds me of this ridiculous line from a novel: “In the moonlight through the ceiling’s trapdoor, her t*ts look like soft blue balloons.” Hahahaha! Instant conflict… between me and that writer.
You were successful with short stories? I suggest viewing the scenes as short stories, even vignettes. Or, begin to write like a report to get the ‘bones’ out of your thinking. Add the story ’embellishments’ afterwards.
These are great ideas, Eleanor.
One idea, especially since you’re interested in dialogue, is to choose a couple of scenes to write in stageplay form. Not for publication or performance or anything, but just as an exercise. Choose one of the scenes you’re envisioning, one that contains two or more characters, and write out their dialogue, along with minimal stage direction. At some point you’ll reach a moment where your characters are just standing around, with nothing else to say or do. Work backwards from there to find the end of the scene. If it’s a piece of dialogue, then great; sharp dialogue is always… Read more »
I feel like I went through that and got past it by 1) picking a willing victim (my same blessed sister who does my proofing), walked the length of the beach with her and told her the story beginning to end: This kid wakes up, and then this and then that, and oh, that’s because of this..on and on.. and then I went home and wrote it out that way like I was telling it to someone. That helped me get it out of my head. was less work than outlining, more free form, and I could see more easily… Read more »
I have a novelist friend who gets really hung up on how to express the passage of time. Like your example, “Two years passed,” or “The next day,” the kind of thing you have to use sparingly. He says he’ll sometimes stare at his computer for what seems like hours, and probably in reality is a good ten minutes, trying to come up with a graceful way. It’s funny how each of us has our own writing bugaboos. (bugabooes?) (bugabi?)
Yay! I didn’t pass on the ‘quit out of the blue’ virus. :D Glad to hear you’re back at it!
Unfortunately, it seems my problem is my stupid willfulness. When I start something (basically anything!) I can’t stop til I finish. So I’m staring at this half filled page trying to ‘finish’ it, even though I know darn well I could just put a {the hero does something clever} note and move to the next….
So you need to fill the entire page before you move onto a next page? Or you need to write a scene to completion before you move onto the next scene?
Do you have the same problem with reading books? Even if you hate it, you have to read through to the end?
Not sure about the books, I haven’t run into a book I haven’t really liked yet… :D But no, I don’t have to fill an entire page, to me when a scene is done, it’s done, even if there’s only one sentence on the last page. I just can’t seem to make myself move along when a scene that I know what I want to do with it, but not sure how to write it all down isn’t finished, so I stare at it. LOL
Ah, OK. So you can’t move onto the next scene if the scene you’re working on isn’t complete, even if you know what will happen with the rest of it. I mean, I get that; even if you have an idea of what will happen in the rest of that scene, you never really know *might* come out. And if something unexpected happens, you’d have to change the next scene anyway to suit it.
Interestingly enough, that isn’t entirely true either…..since I write all over the place, beginning, middle, end and not always in the order that things will happen, which leads me to new ideas or ways to connect scenes I may not have had otherwise. But when I do start writing a scene, I don’t (or can’t?)
let it go until it’s done.
What’s my biggest writing obstacle? My day job. Oh for the day when I can set my own schedule and spend half the day writing. I’d have a lot of books out already if I could do that.
Oh well, until that day comes, I do what I can.
Hans, I once thought the same way, oh give me time and I will do great things. However, once I had plenty of time I found myself doing everything except writing. Then my husband retired. There went the writing. I did more writing when I was home with my kids. I would write at least several days from when they left for school until they came home. That’s when I really got things done. If you had all the time in the world you would still have to discipline yourself to use your time wisely.
Elisabeth;
I hear you. Yes, there is a lot of other things to do, and writing does take a certain amount of discipline. However, I can tell you that during two periods of unemployment, I did a lot of writing. My wife would complain about how much time I spent on the computer. I also got a lot of other things done, which was nice. But alas, I had to find other work and actually bring money into the house.
I am seriously looking forward to retirement.
This will definitely vary from writer to writer. Some people thrive on having only small windows of time, and usually those are the same writers who are liable to freeze if they have too much time available. And vice versa. Knowing yourself is the key.
Yes, that’s so true, David. Know thyself. I am one of those that needs big chunks of time spread out ahead of me or I feel like time is pressing down on my head and I get a headache. I like to write expansively.
So if you have a fifteen-minute break at work, you wouldn’t be able to write; if you had a fifteen-hour break at work, you’d write plenty. (And have a really awesome job.)
Do you have any breaks in your day? I’m thinking of the advice I’ve often seen of carrying a small notebook to write in whenever you get an idea. Even when you’ve had to pocket your novel in the back of your mind, it’s squirming with thoughts about what this or that character could be doing in that scene or this situation. Writing in that notebook could eleviate that longing probably distracting you during your day job . Good luck.
This reminds me of a series we did a few years ago about writers who write at work, on the clock. I’ve always loved the image of people at the office who look engrossed in their work but are actually writing a novel.
My biggest obstacle is not having access to the computer as much as I used to. I share one with my husband and so I can’t use it when I want. That plus when he retired he wants to go here and there, and of course he wants me to go with him. I have to set a schedule when I will have the computer and the time and then stick to it. Any suggestions?
Would he be willing to work together to come up with a sharing plan? And then agree that when it’s your time at the computer, you’re not to be disturbed? Door closed, no knocking, no phone calls, etc.?
The word for my no. 1 obstacle to my writing goals: overwhelmed. I could talk about trying to do too much, writing-wise, and that is an issue. But my main writing goal is completing my novel and the size of that task, especially trying to it with quality, is overwhelming. Even when I’m pleased with a small part, like a scene, I see so many other parts that surely don’t hold as well. And it seems I’ll never finish. I know this obstacle is common to most all writers, especially first-time novelists. There must be some issues of perfectionism and… Read more »
The worst part (arguably) is knowing we’re liable to have a different view of our work every single time we look at it. Today’s perfect scene is tomorrow’s wreck of a scene. This week’s “I finally wrote my climax!” next week becomes “What was I thinking? This climax is idiotic, and so am I, and now I have to go all the way back to the beginning.” And meanwhile the ending keeps feeling further and further away. When you write a review, at what point do you decide it’s done? That even though there’s more tinkering you *could* do, it’s… Read more »
You’ve hit on a key point, I think. In looking at a piece of writing at different times and having different views, the writing has not changed, you have! This is an issue with more than writing and is the way people are. Training our minds and developing an objectivity, where we’re removed from what we’re observing (even a little bit), helps, I believe. I recommend meditation as the best tool to achieve that objectivity, though I’m not there yet.
It’s part of the reason I have a difficult time reading anything I’ve published. Rather than find something to appreciate, I just sit there and cringe at all the stuff I wish I would’ve changed.
I have no difficulty choosing what to write. I even like to edit my work. I write non-fiction/personal essay/memoir. My obstacle is not knowing what to do with all these files-particularly those I have edited multiple times and feel ready to share. When I imagine sitting at the keyboard again I am overwhelmed with self-doubt questioning if there is any point to this process I love so much. Any distraction becomes more important than writing.
Hi Patricia. When you say you don’t know what to do with those files, do you mean you don’t know how to put the finishing touches on them, or is it more like you don’t know how to go about submitting them, getting them published, etc.?
For me, right now, I think it’s cognitive dissonance–too much difference between the inner world and the outer world. (I will not say the “real” world in place of outer world, because both are real.) I have a world inside that wants to be put into intelligible form, and then I am immersed in this other world where I don’t understand any of it and none of it makes sense, but I have figured out how to get along it in. Related to that, it’s the feeling right now that writing is supposed to be my main job, but it… Read more »
Do you have opportunities to write at work, or is that not a thing? Does your job require deep focus? I’m wondering if you can internally work through plot points and characters while on the clock, similar to what you talked about above, walking along the beach with your sister.
Procrastination, plain and simple. I’m trying not to judge myself too harshly, but I can’t help but feel disappointed in my lack of discipline. It’s really frustrating to *want* so much to write, and yet not have the wherewithal to actually sit down and do it.
What do you want to write?
I think the key is in trying to identify what thoughts and feelings are happening when a writing opportunity comes. Like, if you get home from work with a couple of free hours and think to yourself, “I should do some writing now.” What happens between that thought and the decision, however long later, not to write?
Or the realization that you won’t write–it’s not always a decision.