I don’t consider myself an expert in writing, but friends and new acquaintances often query me about it since I do it for a living. Their questions step up a notch too once they find out I’ve actually released a book and am not just scribbling sad-girl poems in my diary 😛

So here’s a little something for non-writers looking to grow, and for new writers looking for camaraderie. These are, in my opinion, 10 very common writing obstacles for newbie writers:

1. Lack of inspiration
2. Lack of discipline
3. A limited vocabulary
4. No time to write
5. Not liking what you write
6. Comparing your work to others’
7. Boredom with your own work
8. Discouraging responses
9. Someone’s already released the story you want to tell
10. Writing too slowly

This isn’t a listicle type blog post, where we dig into each of the obstacles one by one. Many of these come from fatigue — physical, psychological and emotional — and feed upon themselves. Some will come from not having a writing habit or writing process that suits the way you like to work, even if that same process works for someone else.

Unfortunately, I don’t think these issues have specific fixes either. They don’t just affect newbie writers and can strike at any time regardless of how many years you’ve been taking your craft seriously, and the fix at the time usually tends to depend on your circumstances.

If you do come upon any of these, however, the best thing you can do is connect with other writers and be open to a conversation. They won’t know your situation, and you won’t know theirs, but maybe in that haze of mutual not-knowing, something might spark and light the way.

Don’t give up on something you love. Look after yourself and keep writing 💙