This post is all about the external writing obstacles that are undermining your writing goals and the strategies we can apply to overcome these writing obstacles.
It’s not your talent, your creativity, or your writing experience that is standing in the way of completing your manuscript. It’s often the external writing obstacles like busy schedules, high expectations, and constant distractions that keep interfering with your writing goals.
The good news, dear Happy Writer, is that you can overcome these obstacles so you can move forward on your dream of writing and publishing your book. You just need to make some small adjustments to your approach so you don’t let life get in the way of your writing. By learning how to navigate the challenges life throws at you, you will be able to make meaningful progress on your manuscript while actually enjoying the writing process.
Previously, we tackled the internal writing obstacles, a.k.a. the mental blocks that keep writers stuck. In this post, we’re going to see how we can overcome the external writing obstacles we encounter on our writing path. And if you prefer the video version, check out the YouTube video below.
Writing Obstacle #1: Lack of Time
How many times have you postponed writing until the next day because you felt like you simply didn’t have time to write? When you’re busy with work, family commitments, and other chores and errands, finding time to write can sometimes feel impossible. And since we can’t find a one- or two-hour slot to fit writing in between all the other commitments, we tell ourselves that there just isn’t enough time to write, and we give up on writing for that day altogether.
But here’s the good news: in order to advance your book, you don’t need to write for two hours straight. Not even for one full hour.
Instead of feeling the pressure of having to find two hours to sit down and write, try reframing how you see your writing sessions. Try thinking of writing as mini creative adventures. All you need is 10-15 minutes where all your focus goes to your book. That’s all.
During that short time, you’re completely immersed in your story, joining your characters on a mini adventure and, at the same time, you’re making progress on your book. It doesn’t have to be a huge breakthrough. Even a few words count as real progress.
And if you use writing sprints, you can turn writing into a fun little game. Track the word count for each day’s writing sprint, or sprints, and then the next day, try to beat your word count from the previous day.
To make the writing game even more fun, I created a free word count tracker you can download using the form below. As you record the word count from each writing sprint, you’ll soon start seeing your progress as all those small word counts add up. You’re slowly building your novel, one short writing sprint at a time.
So instead of waiting for a large amount of free time to suddenly become available, use the short breaks you already have and turn them into playful writing sprints. That way, you’re not just making progress on your novel, but you’re also having fun writing it.
Think of it like catching up with your friends for 15 minutes. After all, we usually know our characters so well… we might actually consider them to be our best friends.
Writing Obstacle #2: Lack of a Supportive Environment & Other People’s Opinions
Have you ever stopped yourself from writing a certain book, writing in a certain genre, or even writing at all because of what your family or friends said? Or because of the way they looked at you when you mentioned you were writing a book? That look that says, “Sure, that’s a nice hobby… but what do you actually do to earn some money?”
That can be incredibly discouraging.
When family members, friends, and coworkers question your writing dreams, it can really drain your confidence. Even if they mean well and are just speaking out of concern for your future, their comments can still hurt and make you doubt yourself. So… what can you do?
First and most importantly, you don’t need anyone’s approval to write your book. Let people think whatever they want. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but don’t let them get in the way of your dreams.
Recommended reading: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
Don’t let anyone’s opinions affect how you view your work, and don’t let their doubts hinder your pursuit of your writing dreams. These dreams are yours. You’re the one who understands them best and knows why they matter. Just keep following them and let people think what they want. You’ll never be able to control how others think anyway.
All you can do is continue to follow your dreams, and eventually they will understand. And if they don’t… does it really matter when you’re happy doing what you love?
Second, if you’re really worried about other people’s opinions, remember this: you don’t have to share with them everything you’re doing. You’re allowed to keep writing as your own little secret project. That can be especially helpful in the early stages.
If you’re a full-time writer, you don’t have to share all the details with people who don’t understand your choices or don’t take your writing seriously. With them, you can use selective sharing.
The same applies if you write in two different genres. Maybe you can make one genre public and keep the other one secret under a pen name that you never have to share with anyone. That could be useful if you think people might be extremely critical of one of the genres you write in.
Remember that, above all, you should protect your joy. Your dreams don’t need anyone else’s permission. What matters most is that you are happy with what you’re creating. So find ways to pursue your dreams by integrating them into your life as it is right now, while still honoring all your other responsibilities.
Writing Obstacle #3: Comparison & Social Media Overwhelm
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: comparison kills creativity.
Scrolling through your social media feed and checking on how many books all the successful authors you follow have published, and what their earnings are, can feel discouraging if you use it as a comparison. Sometimes, when we see how successful other people are, it’s easy to focus on how far we still have to go, instead of how far we’ve already made it.
One option is to stop following what other authors are doing altogether and simply focus on your own writing. This is great both for your mental health and for your productivity. Less time on social media means more time dedicated to writing, and hopefully not using that time on other distractions instead.
That said, cutting out social media completely can sometimes make you feel disconnected from the writing community.
The second option, and the one I personally use, is to reframe comparison into encouragement. I love it when the authors I follow post about their wins: publishing a new book, releasing multiple books in a year, or reaching new income milestones. I find it uplifting and truly motivating.
Seeing what’s possible for other writers inspires me and reassures me that it’s possible for me, too. It helps me believe that if I keep showing up and doing the work, things can work out. If they can achieve success, I can too. And so can you.
All you need to do is keep writing, and most importantly, have fun writing. If you’re enjoying the writing process, you’re already successful. You don’t have to wait until the book is published to feel proud or fulfilled.
Be happy now that you’re doing what you love. That joy alone makes you just as successful as the authors you follow on social media.
Writing Obstacles #4: Constant Distractions & Mental Overload
How many tabs to you have open when you’re trying to write? I sometimes have twenty tabs open, and that’s just in one window! Sometimes I even have two or three windows open at the same time. Not exactly great for focus…
But as I work on many different projects, I feel like I need all of those tabs. But in reality? I really don’t. One time, my laptop restarted, and I lost all those tabs. Absolutely no problem at all! If anything, it cleared some of my mental clutter. I was no longer staring at a wall of open tabs, not even remembering what most of them were for.
And it’s not just tabs.
We also have to deal with all the notifications from emails, social media, news alerts, and other apps. Every single notification pulls your attention away from your writing and redirects it somewhere else. And 99% of the time, those notifications really aren’t important.
So, can we really afford to let our focus drift away from our project for something that most often turns out to be completely insignificant?
Studies show that every time we switch our attention from our work to something else, it can take about 23 minutes to fully regain focus when we return to our work. And if we do that multiple times during our writing session, that leaves very little time to actually write.
Don’t let all these distractions lead to mental overload and prevent you from achieving your dreams. So what can you do about it?
Personally, I turn off all notifications during my writing sessions to make sure that nothing pops up on my laptop while I’m writing. That alone makes a huge difference. But if you think even that won’t be enough to stop you from browsing the net, or checking the news or social media, you might need a more drastic approach.
In this case, I recommend using Freedom, an app that blocks all sites except the ones you absolutely need for writing. I sometimes use Freedom myself, and it’s a great way to protect your focus. And you can do the same with your phone. Disable all notifications except the urgent ones, and maybe even consider keeping your phone in a different room while you write.
Remember to keep your mind clear so that your muse can join you during your writing session.
This post was all about overcoming the external writing obstacles that writers face. If you enjoyed it, you might also enjoy this post:
How to Write a Book While Working a Full-Time Job
Now it’s your turn. Let me know in the comments which are the biggest external writing obstacles you’re struggling with, and what solutions have helped you overcome them.
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