Top 5 challenges I faced, writing my novel!

Hi there,

I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at blogging last week.

As a writer, I thought writing the blog would be quite straightforward, but I found last week’s blog thought-provoking to write just a few paragraphs about myself.

Last week I said I would mention some of the challenges I faced writing my first book. Although the title states five, if I’m honest, there were many more, but I didn’t want to bore you.

Challenge 1

Planner or Pantser

When I started my novel, I knew nothing about the craft of writing. Although I researched the net for ideas, I was overwhelmed by the information out there. I tried reading everything I found but ended up confused and frustrated.

Instead, I focused on just a few important salient points and put pen to paper.

Apparently, there are two types of writers; those that plan and those that fly by the seat of their pants and write without a roadmap (known as pantsers). I soon realised that I definitely wasn’t a planner, which surprised me, considering my occupational background. I just wrote by the seat of my pants and hoped it made sense. There were plenty of re-writes, but I found it suited my style.

Challenge 2

Procrastination- it was so easy to delay or put off writing when the going got tough. I would make any excuse to stop working and just do something different, e.g. make a drink, walk around the garden or read the news, hoping for inspiration. Sometimes it would work, but most of the time, it didn’t.

Challenge 3

Waffle – I tend to get carried away, write at length, and then realise the waffle needs addressing.

The problem is that I don’t seem to learn from my mistakes. I’m sure the book would have taken half the time to write without all the waffle.

Challenge 4

Editing / Perfection – Editing is supposed to be done at the end of the chapter or the end of the book, according to my research. I must be a perfectionist because I edit nearly every paragraph or page, slowing the writing process.

Challenge 5

Publishing, Promoting & Marketing the Book (PPM)– once the book is finished, what then?

Writing is easier than PPM, but I didn’t know how to go about it. Research told you what to do but not how to do it. After studying PPM for months, I eventually gave up. It was beyond my capabilities. I was prepared to pay a few thousand pounds to a company when my daughter and son-in-law came to my rescue and said they would do this part of the process for me. They have done a wonderful job. They are now my partners in crime!

Let me know what your main challenges have been.

Happy Reading,

Mansel