Every writer dreams of hitting that flow state, where the words just pour onto the page and the word count goes up and up and up. But the reality (spoiler alert) is that writing is full of obstacles, from other commitments that take you away from your desk to writer’s block to isolation Even the most passionate writers bump into roadblocks that leave them staring at a blank page, doubting whether they’ll ever feel like “real writers,” or abandoning their WIPs—for a little while or forever.
Bleak, huh? I bet you’re glad you clicked on this post.
But if the first paragraph resonated with you a little too hard, I’ve got good news: These challenges are totally normal, and totally solvable.
The good news is that these challenges are normal—and they’re solvable. Let’s look at five of the most common writing struggles (and what you can do to overcome them).
1. Finding Time
Challenge: Life is busy. Jobs, families, and responsibilities often push writing to the bottom of the to-do list. For me it’s laundry. Always laundry. There’s a full basket of clean clothes sitting in my closet right now, begging me to fold it.
Solution: Stop waiting to write until you suddenly have huge blocks of time in your schedule. That luxury is rare for most of us, and if we let perfect be the enemy of good, we’ll never make much progress. So, instead, shift your expectations, and shrink your output goals. Instead of 2 hours, 5 days a week, what if you shoot for fifteen minutes before bed three times a week or one paragraph during your lunch break every day. The more you build writing into the cracks of your day, the more it becomes part of your rhythm.
Here are a few more tips for making time to write.
2: Staying Motivated
Challenge: In the early days of a project, you’re motivated, you’re excited—you may even be fixated. But over weeks or months, motivation wanes, you find yourself stuck on a tough scene, other chores or interests sneak back in, and writing can start to feel like a chore.
Solution: Rely on systems, not feelings. (Something I’m working on in my whole life—not just writing.) Create a simple routine that pairs writing with an engrained habit, like drinking your morning coffee. That way, showing up doesn’t depend on your mood—rather, it becomes something you just do—a habit in and of itself. If it helps, keep a visible tracker of your progress to remind yourself how far you’ve come. (I send Two-Week Writing Reset participants a sticker chart so they can do just that.)
3: Overcoming Perfectionism
Challenge: Perfectionism, in the form of your inner critic, whispers that every sentence must be flawless before you can move forward. The result? Stalled drafts, endless tinkering, and no fun.
Solution: Embrace messy first drafts. Remind yourself that no published book looks like its first draft—and that revising only works once you have something on the page. It may help to put yourself in a “yes, and” state of mindwhen it comes to responding to your inner critic.
4: Accountability
Challenge: Without deadlines or outside expectations, it’s easy to let writing slide. You miss a day, then weeks slip by, and suddenly your draft is buried in the back of a (digital) drawer, covered in an inch of (virtual) dust and cobwebs.
Solution: Find ways to hold yourself accountable. That could be an informal arrangement like finding a writing buddy to check in with or even just publicly declaring your goal to family and friends. Or it could be a more formal setup, like hiring a coach or joining a group where others cheer you on and expect to see your progress on a regular basis.
If your knee-jerk reaction is that you’d rather just let that dust accumulate than share your creative life with anyone else, you’re not alone. But keep in mind: Sharing your challenges and celebrating someone else’s successes can have such a powerful impact on your creativity. The right community environment can literally reset your brain chemistry to make you a stronger writer. Accountability doesn’t have to be pressure, and it certainly shouldn’t be judgement. Rather, it should be constructive support, encouragement, and fun.
5: Writing in Isolation
Challenge: Writing alone can feel draining. Without people to share the journey with (or even just drown out your thoughts), self-doubt can start to grow and get in the way of progress.
Solution: Connect with other writers who can relate to your struggles and doubts. Even a short weekly check-in can help you feel less alone—and hearing and discussing other people’s work can also teach you about craft and spark your creativity in big ways.
The Big Picture
If writing was easy, everyone would do it. The work is never going to be without struggles, but don’t let that stop you. With small adjustments to your goals, your practice, and your writing environment, you can move past the roadblocks and keep up your momentum for the long term.
That’s why I created The Inkwell, a warm, supportive community where writers can share wins and struggles, brainstorm their stories, find gentle accountability, and access craft and mindset resources to help their practice thrive. If you’ve ever wished you had encouragement and structure to keep you writing, The Inkwell might be just the place for you.